Love: A Twist of Fate
by wrestlefan4
Summary: Matt's love life is always in a shambles, will it straighten out? When Matt trains Blaze things become more copmlicated. Can Matt deal with his bizarre feelings & accept the realization that is coming to him? Jeff meets an amazing young woman. Is it love?
1. Chapter 1: Homewreckers

**I own the characters Kody Turpin, Stella Turpin, Jillanna "Jilly", and Blaze Avalon. Other than that I do not own any other characters.**

**If you go to my profile I have a link. If you click on it, you will see a pic I made which has the characters of my story in it.**

Chapter 1

It was weird having Jeff there. He was reminded of when they were kids and had to share a room. Matt was always the one cleaning up after the both of them. Now was no different accept that the current mess was generated from too much alcohol. Matt walked through the house picking up articles of clothing that Jeff had peeled off in a trail to his room. He had come home drunk. There was nothing wrong with a little partying but Matt didn't like all the mess. Jeff had stumbled in noisily around three in the morning. Matt sat up in bed hearing a crash in the living room and some jumbled cursing. When he made his way to the living room he found a lamp overturned and busted. Jeff had obviously bumped into the table and sent the lamp to its undeserved yet fated demise. From the crashed lamp were Jeff's shoes which Matt had nearly tripped over. Then there was the shirt, crumpled into a stinky wad on the floor, the pants, and the underwear. The strewn trail of Jeff-wear led to the open doorway of the guest room which was now Jeff's. The younger Hardy was flopped onto his bed passed out in nothing but his dirty-bottomed socks. His naked ass would greet anyone who passed by the open doorway. Matt tossed Jeff's shoes and clothes into the room where they landed with a "whump" on the floor and he shut the door behind him. He went into the kitchen to grab the trash can so he could dispose of the battered lamp and noticed Shannon Moore snoring, slumped in a kitchen chair, his upper body and arms spread out onto the kitchen table. At least, Matt thought to himself, Shannon had the decency to remain clothed. Matt went back to the living room and knelt to pick up the broken glass. He had it just about done when he looked up and saw naked Jeff stumble out of his room and across the hallway to the bathroom. More messes, thought Matt. He went to take the trash can back to the kitchen and Shannon was up too. He was standing in the corner pissing on the cabinets.

"You idiot!" Matt sighed. "Shan, it's time to go home. Party's over buddy." The sound of Jeff retching could be heard from the bathroom.

"Ha-ha…I can write my name inna snow too…" Shannon laughed. "S-A-N…somethin'…"

Matt took Shannon by the shoulders and steered him back to his seat at the kitchen table.

"There are many things wrong with this. First, there's no snow you're in my kitchen, second your out of your head, third you spelled your name wrong, fourth put it back in your pants."

Matt got out a mop and sopped up the pee. It ran lazily across the wood floor and met Matt's bare toes.

"Disgusting…" He mumbled while trying to clean up.

Shannon looked down at his pants with the fly still yawing open.

"Dude, there's a fuckin' worm burrowin' inna my fly! It's gunna eat my peewee!"

That did make Matt laugh. It couldn't be helped. The stupid look on Shannon's face as he looked down at his crotch in surprise was hilarious.

"I think you'll be okay…go to sleep." Matt finished cleaning up after Shannon and looked over to find him once again passed out over the kitchen table. Thankfully he had put his member back in his pants. Jeff came out of the bathroom wiping his mouth on his arm. He stumbled toward the kitchen and sat in one of the other kitchen chairs.

"Matt…can you make a cot of toffee? Uh… coffee…pot of…yeah." He summarized. "Hey…Shannon's out onna table."

"I know." Said Matt as he went to Jeff's room to get some clothes. "Here." He tossed Jeff some underwear. "Put that on please."

As Matt put on some coffee Jeff went to the terribly hard task of trying to put his foot through the leg hole of his underwear.

"Damn it…keeps moving…"

Matt turned around in time to see Jeff get tangled up in his boxers and fall to the floor. Matt helped him up and made sure he got his boxers on. Matt sat Jeff back in his chair and got some cups to pour the coffee. He pulled out a third chair and sat down. Jeff was on one side of him slumped back in his chair and Shannon was on the other side snoring and drooling onto the table.

"Here." Matt handed the coffee to Jeff who promptly spilled it.

"Why do I bother?" Matt sighed as he watched the coffee run over the hardwood.

"Know wha'they say Mathew…don't cry over spilted coffee…" Jeff started to laugh as though this were the funniest thing anyone had ever said in the history of the earth.

Matt cleaned up the coffee and stood up to see his girl friend walking toward him. She must have been awoken by the commotion. She looked so beautiful. Her red hair was mussed from sleeping. Her creamy skin was all aglow with a soft sheen from night sweat, her long legs moved toward him, and when she raised her arms to stretch her back his t-shirt she had on rode up her thighs to a tease him.

"What's going on baby?" She leaned in the doorway and rubbed one of her sleepy green eyes. "Oh, them." She said seeing Jeff and Shannon.

"Yeah…they're home wreckers." Matt said getting up with his coffee stained rag. He tossed it in the sink.

"Well, come back to bed baby." She gave a coy little smirk. "They'll be okay."

She walked away and he watched her go. She was moving her butt that way on purpose because she knew he would be watching.

"Nice ass."

Matt looked up to see Jeff had turned around in his chair and had a dopey smile on his face.

"Mine or hers?" Matt smiled and play punched Jeff.

"Hey I wasn't ready…I'll take you down boy…Fist of Twate…" Jeff mumbled. "Faste of Twist…what the fuck."

Matt left Jeff there to his own mumblings and the snoring of Shannon and climbed into bed with his girl.


	2. Chapter 2: Hotlips

Chapter 2

Matt woke up next to Jillanna. Her beautiful red hair was flayed out on her pillow in long curls. He played with one of them and she sighed gently in her sleep. He wanted to tell her that he loved her but he was afraid to. His experience with relationships had all ended up the same. He had given his heart to others and they had walked out with his beating heart in their hands and their fingernails digging in and making it bleed. But he had been more careful with Jilly. He hadn't told her he loved her yet and it was a new record. He had never been this long in a relationship before dropping the L-bomb on the girl.

This time it really felt right. Those other girls were mistakes and his heart had been misgiving but not this time. Jillanna was the one he truly loved and although he was still nervous to tell her he wondered if the nerves were warranted. She fell into place with him, they fell into place with each other, and when she looked into his eyes he saw nothing but a sincere woman with love for her man. Jillanna stirred and woke up. Her big green eyes fluttered at Matt and he smiled back at her.

"Good morning beautiful." He said and brushed her fiery hair from her face.

"Hey." She said with a stretch.

She got up and stretched again and took off Matt's shirt and tossed it on the floor.

"I'm going to go shower. You can come if you want…" She walked out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. "Eew!"

Matt heard her shriek of disgust and went to see what it was. Maybe she wanted him to smash a spider or maybe Jeff or Shannon forgot to flush.

"Someone spewed all over the toilet." She pointed and then stepped into the shower closing the glass door.

"Yeah…I got it." Matt got a rag and some cleaner and knelt in front of the toilet to clean it. "Hey baby, can I talk to you about something?" Matt said a little loudly so Jilly could hear him over the rain of the shower.

"Sure. Come in here and we can talk." She giggled.

"Not now. I want to ask you…" Matt trailed off and for a few moments the only sound was the sound of the shower head and the soft humming of Jilly. He could hear Jeff or Shannon rattling around in the refrigerator. Jillanna poked her head out of the shower.

"What is it Matt?"

"Um…what do you think about us?"

There was a pause.

"Matt you're a wonderful guy. You treat me great, the sex is good, well I've had better but that's not all there is to it, and I like what we have right now."

Matt stopped cleaning.

What does she mean about that sex comment? It made him a little aggravated. No woman had ever bad mouthed his bedroom abilities before. Were they just being nice or was Jilly being a jerk? She got off when they…or was she faking so she wouldn't hurt his feelings? Great.

"Matt are you still there?"

"Yes." He said quietly. "So you like what we have right now. What exactly would you say we have right now? I…I think I may be lost." He had felt so happy up until now and with her comments he was starting to feel a little down about their…whatever it was they had. Up until that moment he would have classified it as a relationship. What was it to her friendship with mediocre sex?

"I didn't mean to upset you baby…come in here."

"Answer my question first." Matt tried to stay firm but knew he would give in. If she had him it would make him feel better about them and about himself.

"Don't get shitty with me Matt." She snapped.

"I didn't know I was I'm sorry okay?" There was silence between the two of them. It seemed like forever. Matt sat on the toilet lid and sighed. He got up and took his shorts off and climbed in to the shower with her.

Later than evening Jeff took Matt and Shannon to dinner because Matt was acting a little down. The three were at a local bar which was known for serving killer buffalo wings. Inside the atmosphere consisted of mostly men and a few women watching sports on big screen t.v.'s that were hung around on the walls. The patrons were loud and the smell of alcohol and hot wing sauce permeated the air. It was a good smell and a good place to hang with friends. Jeff and Shannon were going easy on the drinking tonight choosing to stick with soda. Shannon took a bite of his wing and gulped some soda.

"That's really--" He gasped. "Hot."

"What kind?" asked Jeff taking one and looking at it.

"Um…well…it's medium but it's really spicy for medium don't you think?" Shannon took another gulp of his soda. Jeff took a bite, chewed, and then shrugged.

"It's good. I usually get fire."

"Oh well I could get the fire ones." Shannon waved at a waitress to come to their table.

"It's not a big deal Shan, it's just a difference in taste." Jeff tossed the bone from his eaten wing onto his napkin. "Don't do something stupid…but I guess it's useless to say that with you." Shannon waved at the waitress again. She came bopping over with a short skirt and bouncing blonde curls.

"Hey miss, can I get some fire over here? These are like little baby wings. I want something with some kick to it."

Jeff just shook his head and looked over at Matt who was staring into his soda.

"Earth to Matt." Jeff waved a hand in front of his brother's face.

"Huh?" Matt looked up and blinked. "Oh, sorry. Did I miss something?"

"No, Shannon is just preparing to make a fool out of himself. Nothing out of the ordinary. But what's bugging you?"

"Nothing." Matt replied and looked down at his empty plate. "Are you going to eat those?" He said to Shannon. Shannon handed his puny medium wings over.

"Nope, I'm getting some fire. I'm going to eat them all too."

Matt started to chow on his newly acquired wings.

"Something's wrong with you Matt."

"No."

"Yeah, you eat when you get upset."

"I do not." He said taking another bite. He looked down at his plate. "Well okay maybe I do, so what."

"Here are your fire wings." The waitress sat the basket in front of Shannon and flashed a big smile at Jeff and batted her eyelashes.

"Why is she ogling at you? I'm the macho one with the badass wings."

"Hey Shan, I really wouldn't…" Jeff tried his best to warn his friend but the warning fell on thick-headed ears.

Shannon quickly ate the meat from his first wing and started on the second one. Jeff watched as his eyes began to tear up.

"Spicy?"

"No…are you kidding?" Shannon shrugged between mouthfuls.

He started on a third one. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes and ran flowing down his cheeks. He started on his fourth and his nose started to leak too. He grabbed his soda and started to chug it. Jeff watched amused. Even Matt slowed down on his food to watch. Shannon finished his soda and gave a loud belch.

"Shit…my lips…my tongue…my stomach…oooww."

Jeff only laughed.

"I told you so, man."

"I can't feel my lips, dude…are my gums bleeding? Man what the fuck do they put in that stuff lighter fluid?" He dabbed at his eyes with his t-shirt sleeve. "To use the expression of a wrestling legend WOOO!"

"Congrats Shannon. You have proved your manhood." Jeff reached over and whacked Shannon on the shoulder. "Hot lips." He laughed.

"Sweet." Said Shannon and he blew his nose into his napkin. "Hey, don't call me that."

"Are you going to eat the rest?" Matt tapped Shannon on his shoulder and pointed to his uneaten wings.

"You don't get anymore until you spill the beans." Jeff said and snatched the basket with the remaining fire wings in them.

"I don't have to give you a play by play of my life." Matt glared.

"Of course you do I'm your brother."

"Yeah and I'm your goofy best friend." Shannon put in despite his sniffles. "What's up Matt? Are you just getting sick of Jeff staying at your house? I told him he could stay with me."

"I'm not staying with you Shannon." Jeff picked up a wing and smiled at it. "Mmm…looks good doesn't it."

" You're an idiot. Both of you are…I took care of your dumb-asses last night why can't you let me be with my wings."

"We're not as nice as you are." Said Shannon. He was still licking his stinging lips like a cat licks its lips after tasting something nasty.

"It's just Jilly. It's no big deal now give my wings back." Matt reached over the table and snagged his stolen goods.

"I don't like her." Shannon let everyone know for the millionth time. He hadn't liked her from the very beginning and had been pretty vocal about it early on. He'd finally quieted about it when it had seemed the relationship was sticking. He rarely mentioned his distain for Jillanna anymore unless it was to Jeff in private.

"What did she do now?"

"Nothing. It's me. It's just me." Matt sighed and leaned back in his chair. "She's confusing. Why can't women come with some kind of instruction manual? Damn it!"

"Well because if they did have an instruction manual it would weigh 500 pounds and it would be written in .5 font size in Egyptian hieroglyphics." Shannon said. His eyes had finally stopped watering and his lips were cooling down. "And there would be an instruction manual for that instruction manual and--"

"What did you do?" Jeff interrupted. "You're nothing but a good guy to her. She treats you like crap sometimes and you're still man enough to take it and say nothing. I'll I've seen is you being awesome to her. What could she find to pick on you about?"

"She doesn't treat me like crap. A woman has needs too."

Jeff and Shannon looked at each other.

"Well I know she got her needs met this morning. You two were at it awfully early." Jeff raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Jeff, please." Matt rolled his eyes.

"Yeah and I had to go really bad. You guys shouldn't do that when you have company." Shannon got up and reached into his back pocket. His cell was ringing. "Hey, I'll be right back." He flipped his phone open and walked outside.

"Well what's her issue, bro?" Jeff pried.

"It doesn't involve you just drop it…and don't say she treats me like crap…I love her."

Jeff didn't like to hear that part. He had seen many other Matt Hardy relationships end in train wrecks. Matt was just too sweet to the ladies. He gave his heart out too early and too often. He only hoped this relationship wasn't heading the same way. He was tired of seeing his brother hurt by cheap women whom Matt had misjudged or who had led Matt on just to get his feeling smashed to bits. Jilly seemed like the rest but Matt had been with her longer than any of the others. Well, that might be up for debate. They had been on and off for years, basically since Matt and Jeff had debuted on WWE, because Matt had met her for the first time that night. They had been together steadily after Matt's last break up which had been almost four years ago.

"You love her but does she love you Matt?" Jeff asked quietly. He didn't like the unsure look in Matt's eyes. Matt's eyes looked back and forth revealing that he really didn't know the answer.


	3. Chapter 3: The Debut

Chapter 3

Stella was in the locker room. Her foot was propped on a bench and she was lacing her black army boots. Her tag team partner was Natalia whom with she was similar in size. They were matched up against the tag team of Mickie James and Maria. Natalia was talking to Mickie before Mickie's music began to play and she laughed in her loud and obnoxious way. Mickie left the locker room to make her entrance.

"Are you nervous?" Asked Maria as she too waited for her cue.

"No, I've been to Iraq. There's not much that makes me nervous." Said Stella and she finished her boot and joined Maria and Natalia.

"I just thought, y'know, it's your big intro and all. I was nervous." Maria continued.

"Piece of cake." Said Natalia. Maria's music cued and Natalia shoved her forward. "Go on, get out of my locker room!" She laughed again in that one of a kind Natalia way.

"I'm not worried." Said Stella. "People don't scare me." She said referring to all the fans packed in the arena.

Soon enough it was Natalia's turn to go and she gave a quick wave and wink to Stella as she exited "her locker room" as she had put it.

Stella was not nervous, she could honestly say that. She was excited. This seemed like a fun business to get in to. She couldn't say it was her dream like some could, like her younger sister would have said, because Stella had already fulfilled her dream and would fulfill it again if duty called. Stella and her younger sister were army brats and Stella had wanted nothing more than to follow in her family tradition and serve her country and her beautiful flag. Stella glanced back at her little sister whom she had managed to get back into the locker room. Kody grinned and waved.

"Good luck, Sis."

It wasn't that Stella and Kody were close, but Stella knew how much wrestling meant to her sister. Stella was just here on a trial period to see if she liked it or not. Of course she hadn't told anyone that but that's how she was playing her cards. If she enjoyed it and got somewhere with her character then she would stay. If not she would make the military her full time career. Kody would never follow that path. She was like an alien to their family. The Turpin family was unified, patriotic, sensible, conservative, respectable, no-nonsense, the Turpin's bled not just red but white and blue as well. Then, there was Kody.

Stella's entrance hit and she made her debut. It was nice to be out there representing her country and her pride in it. She wore army boots, one laced up with red laces, the other with blue. Tucked into the top of her army boots were her army fatigue pants. Her top was a little less traditional as far as the military. It was a black halter which revealed all of her chiseled midriff. Her long blond hair was tied in a ponytail and she wore an army hat to the ring but when she got there she tossed it out to the crowd. She looked at her opponent, Maria, sternly. Natalia was behind her cheering her on and ready for a tag. Mickie James was on the other side to back up Maria.

"What do you think of our newest Diva on the roster?" Asked J.R.

Mick Foley smiled.

"I wrote a poem for her actually…"

"Not again…" Said J.R.

The bell rang and the two went at it. Stella was tough and resilient but of course you had to be both of those things to be an army girl.

The match went to Stella and Natalia. Natalia had covered Mickie for the win. Mickie James knelt outside the ring holding a befuddled Maria who had been thrown to the outside of the ring by Stella who had done enough to show her abilities off to the fans and the other Diva's who might write her off as just some newbie.

On their way back into the locker room Mickie was talking about a party and invited Stella. Kody ran up to her sister and play punched her.

"Congrats, Stell-belle!" She bounced up and down excited for her sister. She couldn't wait until it was her turn to debut. The thought made her nearly giddy.

"Who's the kid?" Asked Natalia and Kody's smile fell.

"Oh, just my baby sister." Said Stella and she walked past Kody without saying another word to her. Kody scowled and climbed onto the bench and stood on it as the three women got into their lockers and chatted as though she didn't exist.

"Hey, Sis, you said I could meet some people!" She called to her sister who ignored her. "Hell-oo?"

Kody hopped down from the bench irritated. She snatched Stella's towel from her hand and rolled it up ready to snap it.

"Hey, if you don't acknowledge my futile existence I'm gonna snap this thing across your face, SIS." She growled.

"Calm down, Kody. You're so dramatic." Stella rolled her eyes. "And immature…I am busy here. Go wait for me outside why don't you?"

Kody stormed out of the locker room and stomped out into the lobby where people were lined up for autograph signing. She plopped down on a bench with her arms crossed. The only way she was going to get close to meeting anyone was by standing in that long line and waiting. She got up and trudged over to the line and hoped Stella's WWE career bit the dust.

Jeff leaned sideways so he could see the extent of the line. It stretched on and around to who knew where. Time for hand cramps and ass signings, he thought with a smile. One after another fans pushed by with things to sign and they all tried to talk over each other to their favorite WWE superstars. Most of the time it was hard to focus on just one person they were shoving so many things at you and talking all at once. Once the line died down things got better and you could actually take more time with the fans and talk to them. Jeff could see that time was finally coming. Things were slowing down. He shook his hand out and popped his knuckles.

"You're gonna get big knuckles, Son." Batista said joking in an over stern tone.

"Thanks for the advice, Pops." Said Jeff and leaned in front of Adam to pat Batista on one of his big shoulders.

"Pops?" Batista shook his head. "I am the ANIMAL!"

"I am the JEFF!" Jeff shouted back. "Yeah!" Down the table Shawn Michaels and Paul Wight laughed.

"What are you laughing at boy?" Batista demanded.

Paul Wight, Big Show, glared over the heads of Shawn Michaels and Dave Finlay down to Batista. "Who you calling boy, Dave Batista?"

"Him!" Batista cleared up by pointing innocently at Michaels. There was more laughter.

"'Scuse me mister 'Tista sir can you signs my picture?" A mom ruffled the hair of her young son who held up a poster with many WWE faces on it.

"Sure buddy. You going to be a wrestler when you grow up?" Batista scrawled his name next to Shawn Michaels.

"Yep." Said the little boy and he looked up at Adam Copeland, Edge, who was sitting next to Batista.

"Want me to sign too?" Adam smiled with his pen ready.

"No, I don't likes you." The little boy instead handed his poster to Jeff who was next in line and laughing.

"Dude, you got dissed! Good job little man." Said Jeff and he handed the poster on to Matt who the boy also dissed.

"No, I just wants Jeffs he's my favorite." The mom picked up her son and the two left as a few more fans straggled by the table.

"Now, that was funny." Adam corrected and pointed at Matt. "He likes Jeff better."

"Yeah, well, you can't win 'em all." Matt reached over and wrapped his hands around Jeff's neck playfully. "I could off him and then there would be no debate over who's the better Hardy."

"That's easy." Said Batista with a sly grin. "You're mom…and believe me I know."

There were some howls and laughter from the table of superstars and MVP slapped his hand onto the table.

"Owned!" He said between laughs.

"I'll own your ass!" Matt called down to MVP. "But then I always do, don't I?"

More howls and whoops from the guys.

Kody was finally there. She was close to the last and she smiled as she watched the guys tease and bicker. It looked like fun and she couldn't wait to be a part of it.

"Hey, you got something you want the Deadman to sign?" She was looking at one of her favorite superstars who was sitting at the near end of the table. Mark Calloway held out his big hand.

"Um…not really. I was just here hanging out with my sister and she kicked me out of the locker room so I just thought I would come out here and…y'know…see if I could meet some of you guys."

"Who's your sister?" Asked Finlay.

"Stella Turpin, the newb." She said with an eye roll. "Unfourtunately."

"I know how siblings can be." Matt said from the other end where he resumed play-choking his brother. Kody laughed.

"You're choking my favorite Hardy." She grinned just teasing.

"You're really getting it tonight, Matt." Said Adam. He winked at Stella.

"No, I'm just kidding. I only know your guy's characters…not really you guys out of character. I hope that will change though. Hopefully I can make it on the roster myself in a few years."

"Do you want an autograph?" Asked Adam winking at her again.

"I don't have anything to sign." She said again.

"I'm sure I can find a spot…" Adam picked up his pen and clicked the top of it. "I'm ready when you are."

"Damn boy, calm down…haven't you ever seen a woman? Oh, right. Vicki doesn't count." Mark ragged on him.

"You're always going on about Vicki, it's just a story line and besides she's a nice woman." Adam defended.

"IS it only a story line, lad, or do I sense a little out of character romance going on here?" Finlay put in and there were more laughs around the table.

"Hate to ruin the fun guys but I have to get out of here." Said Shawn standing up and tipping his hat to Kody. "Good luck and hope to see you out in the ring sometime."

"Yeah, I think we're due to close up and blow this popsicle stand pretty soon." Said Paul Wight. He too stood up and Kody felt like a child being dwarfed by a giant.

"You know all about blowing popsicles don't you, Paul?" Someone called from the other end of the table.

"Who said that?" Wight said laughing.

Adam pointed at Jeff and Jeff pointed innocently back at Adam.

Wight laughed a little more and then went suddenly serious and glared at the two.

"Don't say it again." He said and then walked away from the group chuckling.

"Hey, Mickie's having a party at her house tomorrow night. Some of us are staying in town overnight tonight so we can go and have some fun before we leave Sunday. Want to come? You can be my date." Adam said getting up and walking around the table to where Kody was standing. Jeff was a little surprised. This girl didn't seem like Adams type. She was thin with slight curves and she was definitely a non-conformist type. She wore her long black hair back in a pony tail and Jeff could see two streaks on each side of her hair, purple and pink. She had multiple ear rings including a bar through one ear and a glimmering little stud in her nose. She wore a Black Sabbath t-shirt which fit her small frame tight and a black belt with skulls on it. Her pants were ripped jeans that hugged her slender hips and her shoes were purple Chuck Taylors which she had made one toe green and one blue with Sharpie marker. She was more a Jeff type but she looked awfully young. Adam didn't seem to care. He was probably just hoping to get laid. Kody looked up at Adam as he tossed his blond hair away from his face. She didn't know for sure if she wanted to be Adam's date but she was flattered and she would love to go to the party and hang with everyone. She couldn't pass it up.

"Sure."

Adam scribbled down his cell phone number and handed it to her. She tucked it in her pocket. The table had cleared out even more and Jeff and Batista and Finlay were the only ones left. They were chatting among themselves.

"Bye guys." Said Kody with a wave to the other three. As she walked away Adam walked over to the other three looking proud and cocky.

"I'm so suave…" He said flipping his hair.

"Riiiiight…." Said Batista.

"Cha…" Jeff made an imitation of Wayne Campbell from 'Wayne's World'. "And monkeys might fly out of my ass."

The rest of them, including Adam, laughed and headed out.


	4. Chapter 4: Love and Crushes

Chapter 4

The party was going well. People were inside and out side on the deck and patio and yard. Adam had ditched Kody after a few beers. He had forgotten about her and started flirting with someone else. She was sitting by herself at a table near Mickie's in-ground pool and holding a beer pretending to sip it once in a while. She really hated the taste of it but most of the people there were drinking and she didn't want to look like a loser.

She was sitting at the table looking out at the pool and jumped when someone spoke to her

"Hey…" It was Jeff holding a near empty beer in his hand. He pulled out a plastic chair and sat next to her. "What's up?"

"Not much…I feel a little…left out here. I mean I was supposed to be with Adam but that didn't work out. My sister is here somewhere…" She looked around the yard but didn't see Stella anywhere. She felt nervous with Jeff sitting there next to her. She hated to admit it and seem like a silly school girl but she had a huge crush on him and had hoped to meet him personally. Now he was here close to her and she was trying not to stare at his face or get lost in his eyes. Don't act stupid you'll blow it! She thought to herself. Her next thought directly after that was Blow what?Like you would have a chance of dating Jeff Hardy. Kody tried to shake the thought from her head.

"What about you, are you having a good time?" She took a swig of her beer and stifled a grimace.

"It's not as fun as I thought it would be. I'd rather just be hanging with Matt and Shannon and a few of our other friends. Come out with us sometime and we'll show you a party."

"That would be fun." She took another drink and this time she couldn't hide her dislike for the taste. Jeff laughed at the face she made.

"If you don't like it, don't drink it. That's kind of strong anyway. Here, try this." He handed her his beer and she felt a silly little tingling inside of her that Jeff would offer her a drink of his beer…that his lips had touched…Stop it! She scolded herself mentally and took a drink.

"That's a little better." She handed it back to him and he finished it.

Matt saw Jeff sitting with Kody and was reminded that he had some talking of his own to do. Jillanna was inside the house with some of the girls. He went in the back door which opened to the kitchen and saw her with the girls. They were all sitting around the kitchen table drinking beer and wine coolers and looking at photos.

"This was our reception…" Said one of the girls. Mickie had introduced her as her cousin but Matt couldn't remember her name.

"I don't want to be walking down the isle any time too soon." Stella said as she looked at some of the pictures spread out on the table.

"Hey Jilly." Matt sat his beer on the counter.

"Hey baby." Jilly picked up a photo. "Want to see Paula's wedding pictures?"

"Um…well I was thinking…we should go out side." Matt said stupidly. His nerves were starting to jingle. He had dropped the subject the other day in the bathroom but it was still in the back of his head and he wanted to know her feelings. Jilly left her wine cooler on the table and followed Matt outside. They walked to the back of the property where the grass ended in woods. Matt held her hand and they walked along the edge of the woods.

"It's kind of nice out here in the country." He said and looked up at the sky which was starting to grow dark. Stars were beginning to pop out here and there and wink down at them.

"Not me, I like being in the middle of all the action, I like living in the city. Maybe we should move somewhere like New York or Chicago. I mean Cameron is okay but it's kind of boring." She swung their hands back and forth.

"You want to move or you want us to move?"

"Well let's see Matt, I said 'we should move' didn't you hear me?" She looked up at the stars herself and watched them glimmer.

"Oh."

"Why are you gripping my hand so hard?" She complained and wriggled her hand out of his and wiped it on her pants. "And it's all sweaty. That's gross Matt."

"Sorry." He shoved both of his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet. Ask her, chicken. He thought to himself. But how would he say it? Before he could think that through he realized that words were stumbling out of his mouth. "Jilly, we've been together a long time, well off and on, but we've been steady since the whole Amy thing. I just don't know how to read you sometimes and I want to see if we're on the same page with stuff." Well, that didn't sound too bad.

"That's what this is about, Matt? You are really stupid sometimes, but fortunately you have me." She pulled his hand out of his pocket and linked her fingers through his. He looked at her face as her green eyes glinted beautifully and blinked at him.

"Yeah…" He stopped and touched the side of her smooth face and looked into her emerald eyes. He slid his hand around underneath her warm red curls and kissed her. "It's about…I love you."

She actually jumped a little when he said that. He wished immediately that he could have taken it back. Now he had gone and ruined everything.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that I didn't mean…" But he couldn't really say that because he did mean it. He looked at her and tried to read her expression and failed.

"Don't…be sorry, Matt. Just shut up you babble like an idiot." She paused for a while and he didn't know if she was trying to decide or if she was just doing it to bug him. "I love you too." She smiled and kissed him back.

Matt was so relieved. He let out a long sigh and kissed her again. He felt as though a weight had lifted from his chest and he could breathe again.

"I'm glad." He said with a smile. He listened to those words echoing in his ears. It was a pleasant sound. It sounded wonderful. _Be careful!_ His head warned him. You have been told that before and look where those relationships went. He told that voice to shut up and he pushed it away. This time was different. Anyway, this moment was too good to be ruined by past experiences. He slipped his arm around her waist and they walked like that along the back of Mickie's property and he just enjoyed feeling the warmth of being close to her and being loved.


	5. Chapter 5: A Mess

Chapter 5

"She said it!"

Jeff was forced out of his sleep by the sound of his bed creaking and the feeling of his mattress bouncing. He opened one eye and saw his brothers beaming face. Matt was straddled over him bouncing his mattress eagerly.

"Get off me gay wad." Said Jeff and he pushed one hand into Matt's chest and rolled over and pulled his pillow over his head.

"Jeff!" Matt climbed off the bed and grabbed Jeff's pillow. "Jeff, she loves me. She said it last night at Mickie's party. I asked her and she said she loves me!"

Jeff rubbed his eyes and blinked at his brother.

"I hope she means it. Maybe you shouldn't get overly hopeful…"

"You know how to put a damper on things don't you? Well, not this time. I'm happy. Maybe you should learn to be more encouraging Mr. Pessimistic." Matt tossed Jeff's pillow at him and Jeff tucked it back under his head.

"I'm sorry, Matt. I am glad for you. I hope this is it." He lied a little. He wanted Matt to be happy but he had a nagging feeling about Jillanna. She didn't seem genuine to him. But Matt was a big boy he could make his own choices and love who he wanted to love.

"I invited Kody to hang out with us sometime." Said Jeff getting up and scratching his head.

"Cool…you like her?" Matt picked up Jeff's clothes which were lying around on the floor and put them in the empty laundry hamper which was in the corner.

"She's okay…leave my stuff alone. I like it how it is."

"You have a laundry hamper and you just…okay." Matt turned the hamper upside down and let the wadded clothing drop out onto the floor.

"You must really be happy to do that." Said Jeff. "Only the pants were over here scrunched up kind of like that and the shirt was half under the bed."

Matt grinned at Jeff.

"Fine you can have it how ever the hell you want it and I don't care. See, this is working out good for you too. I'm giving you permission to mess up my house." Matt stepped over the piles of clothes and started to leave Jeff to himself but paused. "Well not the whole house…but you can mess up your room."

"Awesome." Jeff leaned on the dresser and pointed at the wall. "I think I'm going to knock that wall out and put in a hot tub and a bar."

"Sure." Said Matt and he went into the kitchen and put on some coffee. Jeff followed in after he had showered. He looked at the power strip on the counter. The microwave, Matt's cell, Jilly's cell, Jilly's I-pod, the toaster, and the coffee pot were all plugged in to it. He started to pull chords.

"You have too much crap plugged in to the power strip. You're going to burn your house down." He said and finished unplugging everything but the coffee maker and toaster.

"You're paranoid about plugs now." Matt picked up his cell phone to see if it was fully charged.

"Well my house burned to the ground. Plus you're OCD about messes so we're even." Jeff opened the fridge and rummaged around in it.

"Matt, baby can you run out to the store and get me some tampons and Midol? I started. Oh, hi Jeff." Jilly snatched the coffee pot from Matt's hand and opened the cabinet to get a cup.

"Sure." Matt went upstairs to get dressed and go out to the store for her.

"Stupid cramps. Jeff move out of the way I want some milk for my coffee if you don't mind."

"I'm moving." Jeff backed away from the refrigerator and let her grab the milk. He made a face at her behind her back.

"Damn it. He doesn't believe in skim milk does he." She stomped to the end of the hallway and yelled. "Matt…Matt get some fucking skim milk while you're at it. I asked you before but I guess you don't get it."

"I'm coming." Jeff could hear Matt call from the top of the stairs. Jilly stomped back in to the kitchen and started moving things.

"Um…are you looking for something?" Jeff asked cautiously. He didn't want her to snag something off the counter and heave it at his head.

"Bread. I want some toast. I put it here but Matt must have moved it again."

Jeff opened a cabinet and handed her the bread. Jilly scowled at it.

"Get some whole grain bread too not any of that crappy white stuff like you keep in the house." She called to Matt as he opened the front door to leave. "And don't forget it either. I don't ask for much."

Jeff gave a little snort when she said that last part. Sure, she never asked for anything. When she turned to look at him he tried to cover it up as a sneeze.

"What was that for?" She snarled at him.

Her toast popped up and it was blackened.

"Who the fuck sets the toaster to charcoal?" She pulled out a drawer with a hard jerk and it hung there lopsided and off its track. She scrapped at her toast with a butter knife and blackened bits of toast crumbled onto the countertop and floor. "And Jeff you didn't answer me. What was that for? You think you're smart don't you. Smart ass is more like it." She opened the fridge again to find some butter and jelly. She pulled it out and spread some butter onto the burned toast. She then used the same buttery knife to dig jelly out of the jar.

"Hey, you're contaminating the jelly. If Matt sees butter in the jelly he'll throw it away and waist it."

Jilly picked up the jelly and tossed it into the trash.

"He wont now." She sat down at the table and tore into her toast angrily.

"Hey, I want to tell you something." Jeff got up to refill his coffee cup and to get out of the line of fire incase she decided to fling toast at him. She didn't make an answer she just growled. "I hear you told my brother you loved him."

"Why does he have to go blab to you? Does he tell you how many times a day we screw and what positions?"

"Quit being an asshole and shut up and listen." Jeff left his mug on the counter and walked over to where she was sitting at the table. "I don't care if you have cramps or whatever right now, you're acting like a bitch, and you do it often enough even when you're not having your woman time or whatever you want to call it. It's your nature and I don't like it. If you--"

"It doesn't matter if you like it. Matt obviously doesn't care. He doesn't get in my face like you do. He knows his place." She glared at Jeff who glared straight back at her.

"He knows his place? What the hell does that mean Jillanna? I'm telling you now if you hurt Matt--"

"Quit poking your finger at me." She grabbed his finger and twisted it. Jeff pulled it away. He wanted to smack her upside her head. He didn't hit women but he was very inclined to make an exception.

"It's a big deal to say you love someone. I hope you understand that. If you really love him I can grit my teeth and half-way tolerate you but you better love him. I'm not so sure you do. If you do you seem to have a weird way of showing it."

"I am in pain right now so shove it up your ass!" She got up and dumped her plate in the sink. "You wouldn't know."

"My girlfriends all had periods and they didn't use them as an excuse to treat me like a beaten dog."

"I told Matt I loved him, that's all that matters to him." She hissed at Jeff and grabbed her coffee cup and drank the last of her coffee.

"You can tell anyone you love them. Hell you could tell the sink you love it. Do you mean it? Jillanna, do you really mean it because Matt does. Don't say that to him unless you mean it. It's not like fifth grade holding hands under the slide and sharing a lollipop. You say that to my brother and you mean it!"

Jilly shoved Jeff hard. He wasn't expecting it and stumbled backward into the drawer which was still hanging ajar and it fell out spilling silverware clattering and clanging to the wood floor. Jilly gave a cocky little laugh and dropped her cup into the sink.

"You made a mess Jeffrey."


	6. Chapter 6: Wanting Too Much?

Chapter 6

Matt got home from the store and went up stairs to give Jilly her things. She was sitting on the bed crying and dabbing at her eyes with a rumpled tissue. She was being a real grump today and Matt was a little wary of opening his mouth. He sat the tampons and Midol on the bed next to her and stood there not sure if he should speak or not. She looked up at him with tears running down her face and off her nose.

"What, you're just going to stand there and watch me cry?"

She snatched her things from the bed and locked herself in the bathroom. Matt sighed and walked over to the shut door.

"What's wrong?"

"You're brother!"

She sobbed from inside the bathroom.

"What happened?"

"He's being a jerk and being mean to me!" She opened the door and walked out wiping her nose. "And…you bought the shitty tampons!"

She wailed and threw herself onto the bed. Matt loved her but she was at times very dramatic and he wasn't sure what to do.

"Write down what kind you want and I'll go back out and get them."

"Noooo…stay here."

She pulled him down onto the bed and snuggled with him.

"Matt we're going to get out of the house tonight and away from Jeff. We can go out just us. We'll go to a nice restaurant and then we can go to the mall. They're having a sale on jewelry…and the chain on my gold necklace broke so I thought I could get another one."

She sniffled and rubbed her nose on Matt's t-shirt.

"Sure."

He played with her fiery hair.

"Hey…" She said. "Have I ever told you I love you?" She teased kissed his nose.

"Yeah, but it never gets old." He kissed her nose back. "You're nose tastes salty." He laughed and licked the tip of her nose making her squirm and giggle.

"Gross!" She bit at the end of his tongue.

"Feisty redhead." Said Matt as she crawled on top of him and started to tickle him.

"I'll show you feisty redhead…"

"Stop!" Matt coughed between his laughter. "You're going to make me pee my pants!"

"Good!" She had him right where she wanted him. She kept up her tickling and both of them laughed until they were crying.

Matt let her choose the restaurant. She picked Zorelli's a pricy Italian place. It didn't matter, thought Matt, they were in love. Being in love does call for the occasional over-priced low-lit dinner. They were now at the mall and Jilly was looking at necklaces. She had started with the ones on sale but had found her way to the more expensive ones which she clearly favored over the others.

"I wish I could by that one…isn't it beautiful Matt?"

He knew she was giving him the hint that he should buy it for her. He glanced at the price. That was one costly piece of jewelry.

"Ooh…look at that one, it's a set. It has a necklace and ear rings too…and it's really nice it's not like the punk stuff I wear sometimes. It's actual good jewelry. Wouldn't I look stunning in it? I'd really feel special wearing something like that…"

"You like that one?"

Matt reached into his pocket.

"I love it! Aw, Matt, you're so wonderful. Isn't he wonderful?" She asked the lady at the counter. The lady just nodded and opened the glass door to the counter and pulled out the set.

"It's yours." Matt bought her the necklace and ear ring set and he put the necklace around her neck and clasped it. "You're right you do look stunning. But you didn't need the necklace for that, you always look stunning."

"Oh…Matt." She smiled and looked in the mirror admiring the necklace.

"Maybe next time you'll be buying one of those?" The lady behind the counter motioned to the next case which held engagement rings and wedding sets.

"They're beautiful. Look at that one." She drug Matt over to the counter and pointed down at an elaborate engagement ring. It was something Matt would certainly be paying payments on for a while if he ever decided to buy it. He kept it in mind as the walked out of the jewelry store.

Jeff and Shannon sat on Matt's couch. Sitting in between them was Kody. She kept feeling a big goofy smile wanting to creep up on her face but she managed to keep it away. She couldn't believe she was here at Matt's house sitting next to Jeff…and Shannon. They had ordered pizza and rented some movies. 

They dvd's sat on the coffee table next to the opened pizza boxes. Shannon had put a cd in the player that he and Jeff's band had recorded.

"That's sweet." Said Kody as she bobbed her head to the music.

"That parts me." Shannon pointed out.

"Do you guys ever eat these?" Kody picked up a hot pepper that was tucked into the corner of the pizza box.

"Sometimes." Said Jeff taking a bite of his pizza.

"I have an idea." Kody handed the pepper to Jeff then picked up another one and handed it to Shannon and then kept one for herself. "Okay, on three we all take a big bite of it and then we see who can hold it in their mouth the longest."

"I win." Said Jeff.

"Do we…have to?" Shannon asked and Jeff laughed.

"You don't have to if you want to, y'know, wuss out." Jeff ribbed him. "Hotlips."

"I'm not wussing out I just asked a question, and I'm not Hotlips. Come on let's get this thing going!" Shannon opened his mouth and held the pepper to his lips.

"One…two…" Kody counted. "Three!"

The three of them bit into their peppers and then held the pieces in their mouths. Jeff looked over at Shannon, waiting for him to break down. Jeff smiled when Shannon's face began to turn red. Next his eyes began to water up and then he started to sniffle. Shannon flipped Jeff off all in fun. Jeff just shrugged and smiled.

"Mmmm." He said.

Shannon's eyes started to leak and tears ran down his cheeks. He looked over at Kody who seemed unaffected as did Jeff. He looked down at his drink and then up at their serene faces again.

"Ahk! I cahn't do it!" He snagged a napkin and spit his piece of pepper into it. He grabbed his drink and chugged.

Kody pulled her half of pepper out of her mouth and wrapped it up in her napkin.

"Ta-da!" She stood up and made a cute little curtsy. "Thank you, thank you."

"How did you--" Shannon belched loudly. "Do that?"

"I…stuck it in my cheek."

Jeff pulled her down onto the couch and bopped her head with a pillow.

"You cheated." He laughed at her.

"Dirtiest player in the game." Kody grinned. "Wooo!"

"Whoah, we have a dirty little girl here." Said Shannon as he got up to refill his cup which had been expended of its cola.

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" Kody called after him. His response from the kitchen was another loud burp.

"He's a pig, isn't he?" Said Jeff and he bopped her with the pillow again.

"You're not?" She said and stole the pillow away.

"Um…occasionally."

"Hey!" Shannon came back into the room with his replenished drink. "That's my favorite song." He walked over to the player and started to turn it up. "That's the one where I have my special part where I--"

Jeff picked up the remote and shut the player off.

"Kody doesn't want to listen to you're part. She wants to watch some of these movies." Jeff picked up a case and tossed it to Shannon. "Put that in…puh-lease?"

"Only if I get a raise in my allowance." Said Shannon. He put the dvd in and sat down again.

"You might have to cuddle me if I get scared." Shannon winked at Kody.

"Or I could come and cuddle with you." Jeff leaned over and batted his eyelashes at Shannon.

"Nah, I'm getting bored with you." Said Shannon and the three of them laughed.

Kody was actually relaxing and enjoying herself. Jeff and Shannon were a lot of fun. She had used the horror movies as an excuse to grab Jeff's hand twice and to cuddle up to him and bury her face in his chest at the most gruesome parts. She didn't let either of him know she had seen two of the movies before. She also didn't let him know that it took a lot to gross or creep her out. It was more fun pretending to be the scared girl.

She was zoning out of the movie and thinking about Jeff and how she was at this very moment in his arms, feeling his skin touching hers, smelling his cologne, feeling his chest rise and fall with breathing.

"Boo!" Shannon grabbed her waist and shouted making her jump and scream. Now that time, she really had been scared, not because of the movie but because she had been in her own thoughts and not expecting it.

"You monkey!" She grabbed a pillow and tossed it at Shannon who caught it and threw it back.

"That was good, bro." Said Jeff and he reached over Kody to give Shannon a high five.

"You think it was good, huh, Mr. Hardy?" Shannon stuck her tongue out at him.

"Real lady like." He responded and stuck his tongue out back at her.

"You are kind of lady like, aren't you Jeff?"

"I'll take care of her for you." Said Shannon and before Kody could move both guys were on her tickling her.

She scrambled to get away from the barrage of wiggling fingers and toppled off of the couch. Her head smacked the side of the coffee table. Jeff slid off the couch and onto his knees and helped her sit up.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. 'Tis only a flesh wound." She said in her best Monty Python impression. "Besides…it's my head. Not much up there to get damaged."

"Don't say that." Said Jeff and he kissed her head where she had bumped it. "You're going to get a big goose egg…"

Kody didn't care if she got ten big goose eggs. Jeff had just kissed her. Okay, it was on the head but still it was a kiss. She was staring at him just getting lost in his eyes.

"Kody?" Shannon's voice interrupted her daze.

"What?"

"You're staring at Jeff like you got a thing for him…maybe you did knock something loose up there." He tapped a finger on top of her head.

"No I didn't, I am not…staring…" She felt her cheeks growing hot and she knew she was blushing. She pulled herself up and made an excuse about needing to go outside for some air.

"Good job, you embarrassed her." Jeff patted Shannon on the back.

"Well if you want get her back in here, I'll do something really stupid to make myself look like an idiot. That should take her mind off of her own embarrassment."

Jeff got up and went outside where Kody was standing looking up at the night sky.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"For...what?"

"Um." She shrugged.

"I'm don't know about you, but I'm having a good time." Jeff let her know.

"Yeah Jeff, I am having a really good time. I get tired of just sitting in a hotel room while my sister goes off on her own." Kody looked down at her Chuck Taylors and wiggled her toes.

"So if you and your sister don't get along why are you staying with her?"

Kody didn't answer right away. She kept looking down at her shoes and wiggling her toes.

"Because…my parents…don't want me around. I'm not like my family. I'm some kind of alien that got dropped off on their doorstep by mistake. Maybe I'm adopted…I hope so." She let out a sigh and looked up at Jeff. "I'm like you. I'm a freak."

She suddenly felt embarrassed again because she realized she had tears running down her cheeks. She thought she had got over the ordeal that had happened between her and her parents but obviously her wounds were not yet healed. She felt alone. Her parents rejected her, her sister ignored her existence, and her boyfriend back home had cheated on her with her own cousin. She pulled Jeff close to her and buried her face into his chest. It was warm and firm with muscle. She was tired of feeling alone and rejected. Jeff had to understand her.

Matt's headlights flooded the driveway and blinded Kody and Jeff. Kody stepped back from Jeff and shielded her eyes.

"I better get going." She said and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you for inviting me. It was great."

She waved at Matt as she walked across the yard to the street where her sister's car was parked. Shannon came out side too.

"Hey Jeff, I gotta be going. I'm not feeling so good…I think something on the pizza didn't agree…" He too walked across the yard to where his car was parked behind Kody's.

Jeff went back in the house and was followed in by Matt and Jilly. Matt went upstairs but Jilly hung around watching Jeff as he picked up empty cups, half-eaten pizzas, and wadded up napkins. She followed him into the kitchen.

"Jeff…look what I got." She pinched the chain of her necklace between her fingers and let the pendant dangle. "Isn't it something?"

Jeff noted the way she was saying it, like she was trying to rub it in his face. He dumped the cups into the sink.

"Sure…it's great." He stopped and did a double take. "How much did that cost? An arm and a leg?"

"It's expensive. But Matt loves me." She pointed out her ear rings. "That's not all." She held up a bag from some department store. "Isn't it great? I mean being in love. Isn't it great?"

She turned and sauntered down the hallway as Jeff gritted his teeth.


	7. Chapter 7: Scars of the Heart

Chapter 7

Matt was eleven. He was in the living room and his mom was knotting his tie. He was getting ready to go to the fifth grade dance with his pretty little friend Denise. He had known Denise since second grade—four years. Other kids giggled at them and referred to them as boyfriend and girlfriend. Maybe that was because Matt had saved up his allowance to buy her a teddy bear for Valentines day, or maybe it was because Aurthur Dumas had seen them kiss under the slide at recess and blabbed it to everyone. It could also be because Denise wore a little plastic ring on her finger and pretended to be his wife. Matt liked Denise a lot even though Bret Barber always made fun of him and said he was Denise's little puppy. But it didn't matter to Matt. People could say what they wanted. Denise was his girl. They were going to the same middle school next year and maybe he would ask her out for real.

Matt's mom was knelt down on one knee and she looked up at him and adjusted his shirt collar and picked off some fuzz.

"There you go. You look so handsome." She smiled up at him. "Here's your flower to give her." She handed him a red carnation.

"Mom…" Matt whispered to her. "What did the doctor say?"

He knew he wasn't supposed to ask but he had seen yesterday's date circled on the calendar which meant she had been to the doctor.

"Don't pry into adult's business, Matthew." His dad said as he surfed channels on the t.v.

"Come here a minute honey…" She led Matt into his parent's bedroom and shut the door. "Matt, I don't want you to worry about me, okay?"

"I heard you and dad talking, I didn't mean to but I got up to use the bathroom and…" He sniffed and tried not to cry in front of his mom. "What do you mean a year? I heard you say it."

She looked down at her hands.

"I guess you know more than I thought." She swallowed hard. "Matt--"

"Hey mom!" Jeff's voice called out from the other room and interrupted her. "Mom, come here look what I can do, I made up a wrestling move!"

Matt and his mom went into the boy's room and saw Jeff standing on the edge of the top bunk which was his. He was preparing to do some dare-devilish trick.

"Jeff, get down from there." His mom reached up and removed eight-year-old Jeff from the top bunk and sat him to his feet.

"Aw…mom!"

"What did you do to your hair?" She reached down and turned his hands palm up. "And…your hands." She laughed. Jeff's hair and hands were splotched with colors.

"….Food coloring…" He smiled up at her innocently. "Hey bro, are you goin' to kiss your little gi-irl friend tonight? You'll get cooties!" He teased and made loud smacking kiss sounds on his own arm.

"Little brothers always act dumb." Said Matt.

"Jeff, if you want to make your hair colors ask me next time and I'll help you, okay?" Their mom reached over and ruffled Jeff's tye-dyed hair.

She and Matt walked back out to the living room where she stopped to adjust his collar again. She walked him out onto the porch. The family car was broken down again so Denise's dad was parked in their driveway waiting for Matt. Denise pressed her face to the window and waved but neither noticed. His mom had stooped down again to talk to him and she had a serious look on her face.

"Matt…" She started with a shaky voice. "If anything ever…if I go away…"

"Mom, I don't want you to go away!" He wrapped his arms around her neck.

"Matthew, I still have a lot of time with you and Jeff and Daddy…but…when I'm not here…" Her voice broke up. "Please, watch out for Jeff, sweetie. He'll get himself into trouble. Make sure he doesn't do anything too silly, okay?"

"Mom don't leave!" He cried into her hair and she held him for a moment.

"Matt, you don't want to cry. You're going to go to the dance and have fun okay? I want you to have an awesome time and come home and tell me all about it, promise?"

He nodded and snuffled and his mom wiped his eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"Hey, mom!" Called Jeff from inside the house.

"Coming!" She called back and kissed Matt on top of his head. "Now go on, get out of here. I have to go see to your rainbow-headed brother."

Suddenly Matt was no longer on the front porch feeling all the pain he had felt when he realized for certain that his mom was going to "go away". He was at the dance, standing in the middle of the dance floor holding two Dixie cups of punch. Denise had asked him to get some and here he was with it but where was she?

"Hey." Said a kid. "Are you lookin' for Denise? She went out there." The kid pointed.

Matt went to find her. No one was in the hall but he suddenly heard giggling followed by a low "sshhhh" sound. He walked down the hallway and stopped. The door to the art classroom was ajar and he could hear little voices. He opened the door and peeked in. The lights were off but it wasn't completely dark. Enough light was coming in through the window he could see two small shadows. He flipped one of the light switches and the front lights turned on partially illuminating the classroom.

Denise and Aurthur were wrapped in each other's arms and she was in the middle of kissing his lips. Matt stepped back shocked. That stupid little plastic ring glinted on her finger.

"Matt…I'm Artie's girl now." She said and kissed Aurthur again.

Suddenly the room was filled with noises. There was a crash, panting, moaning, Matt flipped on the rest of the lights. His middle school girlfriend of three years was standing in the corner holding a box of things with his name scrawled across the front.

"Here are you're things, Matt. I don't want to see you anymore." She stepped forward with the box cradled in her arms. "I don't want to see you anymore, Matt, I don't want to see you."

Matt could feel his chest tightening and his emotions starting to clamour.

"Harder, baby, harder!"

"Matt, I'm pregnant."

Connie, his high school girlfriend of four years stepped out of the coat closet with an oversized letter jacket on. She had her hands on her belly.

"It's his, it's Mark's baby. I was screwing around on you with the football jock." She hissed at him. "I was screwing around behind your back!"

"Harder, baby, ooh!"

"I'm leaving Matt, I don't like you being gone all the time, traveling for your stupid wrestling! I don't like it, Matt, I'm leaving, I'm leaving!" Another old girlfriend of five years stepped out of the shadows and yelled at him. She pried an engagement ring off her finger and threw it at him. "I don't love you anymore and I'm leaving!" She screamed at him.

"No, don't leave, don't!" He was crying and sobbing and he tried to back out of the room but found the door closed. He grabbed the door knob and tried to turn it but it was locked.

"Harder, harder, Adam, oh, Adam!"

Matt sunk to the ground with his back to the door. He looked up and saw Amy and Adam on the teacher's desk having hot, passionate, sex.

"What, oooh, about Matt?" Adam groaned.

"Fuck Matt, he won't know, and if he finds out, I'll just leave! I'll just leave him!"

Matt buried his head in his hands and started to sob.

"No don't leave me don't, I love you! Don't…please stay!"

Pain tore at him, gripping him with indescribable force, his ears rang with all of their voices clattering and clashing.

"I'm leaving you!"

"Adam, oh, Adam ooh!"

"I'm done with you Matthew, I'm leaving! I don't want to see you!"

"Matt, she's gone. Son, she's gone!"

"No, no don't, I don't want you to go! Mom, I don't want you to go!"

"We're all leaving you Matt! We're all LEAVING!"

"No, no, you can't leave!" It tore out of his throat in a bereft, jagged, scream and filled the room and drowned out the other dissonant voices of past love and past sorrows. "You can't!" His voice cracked and his body trembled with the weight of his despiration and grief.

"Matt, wake up!" Jilly reached for the lamp and clicked it on. A small circle of yellow light glowed up from the shade.

"No, no!" Matt shouted hoarsely. He was sobbing and tears were flowing into his ears. He was tangling himself up in the covers.

"Wake up, you're dreaming!" She grabbed his shoulders and shook them until he opened his eyes.

Matt opened his eyes to see a blurry Jilly bending over him. He was back in his own room. He wasn't in that fifth grade art class but the feelings still lingered and dug at him like snatching claws and ravenous teeth. Maybe they were not just lingering over from the dream, but maybe they had never really left his heart at all, and that made him start to sob all over again. He grabbed onto Jilly and drew her to his chest.

"Don't leave, Jilly, d-don't leave, okay? Tell me…tell me."

She could barely understand him for his hoarse crying.

"I love you, Matt."

"D-don't leave…I don't want you to!"

"Sshhh…" she kissed his salty lips. "Calm down. Sshhh."

He's broken, she thought to herself. Look at him…he's so broken. She kissed him again, a little deeper.

"I said I love you."

"So, k-keep saying it." He stuttered between sobs.

"What if I show you?"

Why does she want to have sex now? Matt thought briefly. But it didn't matter. She was showing him that she loved him. She did love him, of course she loved him. She wasn't going to leave. Her lips crawled over his body as it shuttered with his sobbing. She took his hand and put his fingers inside her.

"Jilly…" He looked at her through his tears.

"Sshhh…" She shushed him. "It's okay. It's okay if you feel bad, cry if you have to, it's okay to be hurt."

A broken man can't hurt you, a man with deep scars on his heart is in the palm of your hand, she thought to herself. She looked down into his swimming eyes and made love to him until the tears stopped.


	8. Chapter 8: Keeping Secrets

Chapter 8

"So, what do you think, Shan?"

"Um, er…ah…jeeze Matt, I don't know. You know how I feel about her." Shannon looked down at the ring. "It's a lot of money and, y'know, that's a big step. A biiig step." He reinforced the last part. He wished it was Jeff who was here with Matt instead of him. Now Shannon would have to keep this a secret and he didn't like it.

"She pointed it out when we were here a couple weeks ago. She was giving me a hint. She wants to do it but she knows I've had bad relationships in the past. She probably just doesn't want to push the subject." Matt studied the ring. "I wonder what size her finger is…give me your pinky." He said to Shannon who held his hand up reluctantly. "What do you think?"

"It's a little to flashy for me but I'm sooo flattered." Shannon said in a valley-girl voice.

"Do you think it would be too big?"

"I don't know. You know her hands better than me." Shannon wriggled the ring up his pinky to take it off and it got stuck on his knuckle. "Besides…" He said struggling with the ring. "You can get it resized if it's too big can't you?"

"Yes, you can resize it…for a small cost." Said the man behind the counter. "Let me help you."

Shannon surrendered his hand to the man in the pink shirt. He twisted the ring and pulled on it.

"Hey," Shannon laughed. "Pull my finger!"

"Your mind is stuck at eighth grade level isn't it?" Matt fished out a credit card.

"Yep. It is."

The man gave the ring one last jerk and it popped off.

"It's stuck." Said Kody. She sat cross legged on the bed holding her sisters fatigue pants and pulling at the zipper. Stella rummaged through her closet.

"I can't find anything here." She mumbled to herself. "I'm going to be so glad to get that apartment. We'll finally have separate bedrooms."

"Stella, you're going to have to find something else, the zipper's busted." Kody dropped the pants into a heap on the floor. Stella immediately snatched them up and folded them into a perfect little square.

"You're anal." Said Kody.

"No, I'm military." Stella reminded her and she put the pants into a drawer. "I'll just have to get some new ones before my match Friday." Stella pulled out some clothes and put them neatly in her suitcase. 

"You better get your stuff packed up too, if you plan to tag along." Stella disappeared into the bathroom to get some more must-haves to load up in her suit case.

"I don't know. I might be able stay here." She was thinking of Jeff and wondering if she could convince him to let her stay with him and Matt while Stella was away for her match. It would only be the weekend.

"You're not thinking of staying with Jeff are you?"

Stella came back out of the bathroom with a hair brush, toothpaste, tooth brush, and other essentials. She put them all organized into her suitcase.

"Maybe…"

"You haven't told him, have you?" Stella shook her head. "Incredible, I can't believe you."

"What?" Kody grabbed the remote and turned the t.v. on and flipped channels.

"Pay attention to me." Stella gripped her sister's shoulders firmly. "This is a little kid's dream, Kody. You are a little kid. Jeff is thirty years old. Why would he consider dating you?"

Kody tore away from her sister's grasp and reached behind her for a pillow and hugged it.

"Because, he understands me, I understand him!"

"You barely know him, and he obviously doesn't know you. He doesn't know that you're just a little baby."

Kody felt her eyes start to sting. Her sister was always taking her dreams and hurling them to the ground and watching them shatter. Stella had told Kody many times that she would never make it as a wrestler. Stella had the size, Kody was small, and Stella figured, too meek. Stella knew what tough was, she had been through ROTC in high school and college, then she had been through rigorous basic, and then on to Iraq. Kody was a little baby who had never been anywhere or done anything of significance.

Kody left the hotel room to her sister and got a cab to Matt's house. Matt's car was gone but Jeff's was there. She knocked on the door but couldn't raise anyone. She decided to walk around to the back and see if he was outside. She rounded the corner of the house and stopped. Jeff's head bobbed up from the water. He was in the pool.

"Hey." He said.

Kody's heart bumped up into her throat and for a moment she couldn't find her voice.

"Hey." She said in a gasp.

"What's up?" Jeff rested his elbows on the concrete edge of the pool and peered at her.

"Nothing." Said Kody crouching down in front of him.

"Want to come for a swim?"

He looked so hot with his hair wet back and dripping, his bare arms and shoulders beading with water, Kody tried to focus.

"Not in my clothes." She said. "What I mean is…I mean I don't have a bathing suit."

Jeff laughed and splashed her.

"Jeff!" She laughed and slipped her flip-flops off and rolled up her pants. She sat down on the edge of the pool and dangled her feet in the cool water. "Hey, Jeff, I was wondering--" Jeff suddenly grabbed her by her waist and pulled her into the pool clothes and all. She gave a little shriek.

"I look like a drowned rat." She said and looked at her sopping clothes. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt and it was now wet and clinging to her and bugging her by suctioning its self to her skin. She took a chance and peeled it off and tossed it to the side of the pool. Jeff was not expecting that and his eyes widened a little with pleasant surprise. Kody looked a little embarrassed but at the same time she had a playing little smile on her lips. "What, you've never seen a girl in her bra before?" She teased and splashed him.

"Of course." Said Jeff and he ducked under and swam to the other side of the pool. Kody came after him. He was standing in the shallow end. Kody swam over and swam between his legs coming up behind him.

"Kody…" Jeff was not sure if she was just playing or if she was coming on to him. He found his hand reaching down and playing with her bra strap. Kody pressed herself against his body. She was skin-to-skin with him. Her heart started to flutter and she started to tingle inside. She put her palms flat behind her on the concrete edge of the pool and hoisted herself up so she was sitting on the edge. She grabbed Jeff's shoulders and pulled him into her and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Kody--"

She kissed him. She just kissed him. So many things were running through her mind. Maybe it was a little kids dream but it was coming true, and she could show Jeff, yes she could show him that she was no little kid. She kissed him harder and rougher and forced her tongue into his mouth. He wasn't near as turned on as she was but she could feel him responding. Her breath was coming quick and she wanted things to go farther. She wanted to know how it felt to be made love to by a grown man, hot and full of passion, not some stupid little boy she had dated in high school. She reached down and tugged at the waist of his swim trunks, wanting.

"Kody…" Jeff put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back gently. "Calm down."

Hell, she thought to herself, what are you doing acting like a horny little school girl? She felt her cheeks burning with humiliation. She didn't know what to say. She crossed her arms over her chest to cover up.

"It's not that I…well, Kody, we don't really know each other…" The main thing Jeff was feeling uncomfortable with was her age. He had noticed when he first met her that she looked pretty young. Her behavior here made her seem a little inexperienced and desperate. "Kody…how old are you?"

Kody looked around nervously.

"It doesn't really matter does it, I mean if we both like each other, it shouldn't matter should it?"

She felt things getting ready to blow up in her face. She started to get up to go get her shirt but Jeff held her there with his firm hands.

"Why is it a big secret?"

"I'm…I'm seventeen." She blurted out and got up to get her shirt.

Jeff was stunned. She had looked younger but not that much younger. She was fresh out of high school, not even legal, she was a child.

"You're…you're…a kid, Kody!"

She picked up her shirt and turned to him with tears running down her face.

"I am not a kid! People need to realize that!" She screamed and threw her sopping shirt at Jeff. It bubbled and sank under the water.

"I'm thirty years old, Kody. A few more years and I could be your dad!"

"I don't care what you say. You liked me before you knew, and I like you. I am not going to let this just go up in smoke because of my age or your age. I'm going to prove to you I'm no kid."

She took her purse from the plastic chair she had laid it in and dug around for her cell phone to call a cab. She walked around the side of the house and left Jeff in the pool, still shocked.


	9. Chapter 9: Walking Away from the Ring

Chapter 9

A few months had passed since Matt had bought the ring. Shannon was proud of himself that he had managed to keep his mouth shut. He had told no one, but it was getting harder and harder. He had a bad feeling about the whole situation. He didn't like Jilly and he didn't like her bossing and domineering ways. He didn't believe Jilly was in love, but Matt was. He had to be. He was blinded to her many character flaws, and the way Matt looked at her, the way he was around her…Shannon felt torn. He wanted to tell Jeff so Jeff could talk some sense into his older brother, but then again, Matt was probably past that point. He didn't know what had happened between Jilly and Matt but he had noticed just before Matt had bought the ring that he was becoming very clingy to her, needy, was probably the right word. It didn't sit well with Shannon. Matt had went and invested too much in a relationship once again and Shannon was afraid he was going to be around to see this one derail its self. What was he suppose to do? Was he suppose to try to stop it or just wait for it to implode and then try to keep Matt from losing his mind? Why can't this be on Jeff instead of me? He thought again.

"Shannon," Jimmy Wang Yang sat down on the locker room bench next to him. "Get your stuff on man, we're up soon."

"Huh?"

"What's wrong with you…you seem…" Jimmy stopped to find the correct word. "Conflicted."

"Well, what would you do if your best friend is going to ask a royal bitch to marry him and you know it's not going to work, because she's a complete ass, but you can't tell anyone…and you don't want Ma-him to get hurt again, but you can't talk sense to his thick head, and you can't tell his brother because no one's suppose to know it's suppose to be a—uh…hey Jimmy, I'm not talking about Matt or anything, okay?"

Well, there went my lips flapping, thought Shannon.

"I've only met her a couple of times and I couldn't stand her. She seems controlling."

"She's a bitch. Uh, but we're not talking about Matt. It's…this other friend."

Shannon started to laugh.

"Okay, maybe it is Matt."

"What is?" Said Matt coming into the locker room.

"Nothing!" Shannon blurted out. Matt gave him a weird look, but it quickly turned into a grin. He was really happy today and nothing could change that. Today was the day. He was going to ask her. He had everything planned out. He only wished Jeff could have been here but Jeff had other things to deal with. He had hired a contactor to build his new house. He had shelled out a chunk of money, and then, suddenly the company had vanished. Jeff couldn't reach anyone on the phone. He'd gone to the building where the company had been but the place was empty. So, Jeff was at home trying to take care of business.

Jimmy and Shannon lost their match against Jesse and Festus. Shannon didn't really care. He was still thinking about Matt. He had brought Jilly with him to the match, and his demeanor had changed today. Shannon had a feeling today was going to be the big day. He hoped he was wrong about Jilly after all, he hoped she and Matt were happy, he hoped she would say yes. It wasn't Matt's prerogative to choose a mate that Shannon and Jeff liked it was to choose a woman that he loved. Shannon sat back in the locker room watching Matt on the small t.v. screen. Adam was already in the ring waiting for Matt's entrance to conclude. However, Matt got a microphone. Here it comes, thought Shannon. He clutched the edge of the bench with white knuckles.

"Before we start, I would like all of you to meet someone!" Matt said to the fans. He walked over to the announcers table. Jilly was sitting beside it. He took her hand and led her into the ring. There were cheers from the fans, they obviously didn't know her. "This is--"

Adam grabbed the mike from Matt.

"Nobody wants to hear about your love life, Matt. They just want to see me kick your ass."

Boos and jeers arose from the crowd. Matt grabbed the mike back.

"They didn't want to hear about yours but that didn't stop you. Now shut up, I have something to say!"

The fans switched to cheers again.

"This is Jillanna." Matt shuffled from foot to foot. He was starting to get a bit nervous. He'd never felt anxious in front of all of these people but suddenly they were starting to jingle his nerves. "Jilly, I'm doing this tonight because I love you. I want you to know how much I love you. You came into my life when I was going through a really though time…" He glanced over at Adam who was smirking. "I didn't think I could love someone again, right after what happened, but you just came and knocked me off my feet. You're everything to me, I…I was hoping…you would be my wife." Matt dropped down to his knee and took out the little black box with the glimmering ring. Jilly looked stunned. "Jillanna, will you marry me?"

There was a pause which seemed a little too long. Shannon was up and shouting at the t.v.

"Say yes, say yes!"

Jeff and Kody had made up shortly after the pool incident. They had agreed to remain friends for the time being. Kody had not given up however, on being Jeff's girl. She had it in her head that she was going to win him over, maybe not as soon as she had expected, but she would. Maybe her sister didn't think she was tough, maybe she was young, but she was very stubborn. Right now Jeff and Kody were at Matt's house watching Smackdown.

"What is he doing?" Jeff watched his brother leading Jilly into the ring.

"Look at Adam with that smirk on his face, I don't like him." Kody glared at the t.v. Jeff turned up the volume as Matt began to talk.

"I didn't think I could love someone again, right after what happened, but you just came and knocked me off my feet. You're everything to me, I…I was hoping…you would be my wife." Matt dropped down to his knee and took out the little black box with the glimmering ring. Jilly looked stunned. "Jillanna, will you marry me?"

"Oh, no, oh hell!" Jeff could not believe this. Matt had not even mentioned this to him, and there he was in the ring doing this, this was not going to end well. "Don't do it, don't even break his heart in front of all these people!" Jeff yelled at the t.v. Kody tugged on his arm.

"Jeff, sit down, calm down…"

He sat back down. But as for calming down…that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. This was not right. Jilly wasn't responding. Matt was looking nervous, shit!

Matt looked up at her waiting. Had he made a mistake? He couldn't have. She loved him, she pointed the ring out before, what was wrong? Maybe she didn't like him asking her this way, out here in the ring, in front of everyone.

"Matt, please get up!" She hissed at him, hoping the mike wouldn't pick it up. He got up still holding the opened ring box in one hand, the mike in the other. Jilly took the mike and turned it off.

"What is she saying!" Shannon hollered. "What is she doing!"

"She's going to fucking say no!" Jeff shouted back home in Matt's living room.

"Jeff, don't yell…" Kody said to no avail.

The fans were booing at Jilly who had turned the mike off. They couldn't hear what she was saying, only Matt could.

"Matt, we need to talk about this later!"

She looked like she was upset and trying to mask it because she was in front of people. Matt's heart sank. What had he done?

"You're…upset?"

"I just want us to talk about his later. I'm not upset." She smiled and kissed him. Then she turned the mike back on. "Matt, yes!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him and he twirled her around and then put her back to her feet. He took her hand and slipped the ring on. She gave him one last kiss before ducking under the ropes. The bell rang. Matt was beaming, Adam was scowling, it didn't matter. Nothing could ruin this moment.

Shannon let out a huge sigh of relief. She said yes.

Jeff flopped back onto the couch. He couldn't believe it. She actually said yes. Matt was going to get married…to her. But at least he was going to get married. This whole ordeal with Matt's wrecked love life was going to be over with and he was going to be happily married. Jeff couldn't say he liked the woman Matt had fallen in love with, but if this was it for Matt, then he would be supportive and tolerate her. He felt joy for his brother. Maybe this was good. A nagging voice piped up at the back of his head: Who are you trying to kid? Something is off here.

Jeff ignored that voice. Hawkins and Ryder came out to help Edge. They bought him his victory over Matt. Matt didn't really care. He was walking away from the ring with more than Adam had. He was walking away with his fiancée. Just after Matt and Jilly had walked back stage the lights went out on Edge and his buddies who were gloating about beating Matt. There were murmurs among the fans…and then…the bells tolled. The lights flashed back on, revealing the Deadman holding Hawkins and Ryder up by their necks. Edge, of course, had bailed. Hawkins and Ryder went sprawling to the mat, via a double choke slam. The fans went wild. He had finally made his return that night. The fans didn't know how or why yet, but it was just part of the story line. It went that Vickie had revoked her ban because she was so pissed off after Edge had been caught playing around with the wedding planner. She had decided to plot her revenge by bringing back Edge's worst nightmare.

Back stage Shannon ran out of the locker room and caught Matt in a huge hug.

"Congrats man!"

He led Matt into the locker room where other superstars clapped him on the back and congratulated him. It felt really good. Jilly was wearing his ring, she had said yes. Now he just had to go and see what she wanted to talk to him about. It was probably nothing, she was just shocked, caught off guard, maybe she hadn't really liked how he had gone about the proposal, but that didn't matter. It was over with and she had said yes!

Matt was changing his clothes when Jilly came barging into the men's locker room. The chattering died down, some of the men grabbed towels and things to cover up, some didn't care and went on about their business.

"Whoah, you can't be in here, lass!" Said Finaly stepping toward her.

"Get out of my way." She pushed him aside. "Matt, outside!" She barked and then turned around and left. The room was silent. Matt blinked, confused. He finished getting dressed and went out after her. Inside the locker room some of the guys crowded around the door to see if they could hear anything.

"Get away from there, nosy bastards." Said Mark Calloway. In a moment, none of them needed to be crowded by the door. Jilly could easily be heard from outside, she was yelling, snapping, at Matt. She sounded like she was biting his head off. Some of the guys backed away from the door feeling embarrassed for or sorry for Matt.

"You dumb fucker, what did you think you were doing!" She roared at him. Her voice was piercing, it was much worse than Vickie's. "In front of all those people, what was I suppose to say Matthew!"

They could hear Matt say something. It sounded like: "Calm down."

"What…what is he saying to her, is he sticking up for himself?" Someone wanted to know.

"No, it's not that I'm not ready, it's not that I want to wait!" Her voice clamored loudly. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard. She sounded like she was bellowing at a some poor, fearful, dog who had piddled on the carpet.

"What is he saying!"

"Mark's right, quit eavesdropping." Said Finlay pulling a couple of guys away from the door.

Shannon was the only one left with his ear to the door, but that only seemed right. He was one of Matt's best friends. He was entitled to know how Matt was fairing and what was going on.

"Matt…" Her voice had lowered into a more normal tone. She was calming down. "Matt…we're going in different directions. Let's just say that, okay?"

"No, Jilly, don't do this, I'm sorry if I ruined it I thought—I thought--" Matt's voice was breaking up. "You do love me don't you, you said you loved me, you promised you wouldn't leave that night when I was upset, you promised me!" His voice rose in pleading. It was strained with tears and near-panic.

"I didn't promise you that, I never said that. I told you I loved you."

"Doesn't…doesn't that mean anything? Then doesn't it…" Matt broke down weeping. Shannon could hear it from the other side of the door. His own heart sank. Matt was getting kicked to the curb again, not just kicked to the curb, but stomped in the gut and shoved face first into the gutter.

"It means what you want it to mean." Said Jilly. Shannon pushed gently on the door, opening it to a crack, so he could see. Matt was sitting on a bench, holding his head between his legs, sobbing uncontrollably, and mumbling something to her between his sobs that couldn't really be made out. Jilly screwed the ring off of her finger and sat it on Matt's knee. She turned, and walked away. That was it, just like that, as though Matt and his feelings were nothing but some old gum she had pried off of her shoe. She left the ring on his knee just like that and she simply walked away from it.


	10. Chapter 10:Repetitions, Deeper, Solitude

Chapter 10

Matt was holed up in his room. It had been three weeks and he was still holed up in his room. He came down to raid the fridge if he felt like trying to eat his emotions, other than that he was burrowed in his bed hiding from the world, sobbing into his pillow, until his eyes were so sore he couldn't open them, until his throat was so raw he couldn't speak, until his chest was so tired it hurt to breathe. Right now Jeff could hear music coming from Matt's room. It was painful, yet appropriate to Matt's situation. Jeff listened as the song played on repeat. It was Black Sabbath, Solitude.

My name it means nothing  
My fortune is less  
My future is shrouded in dark wilderness  
Sunshine is far away, clouds linger on  
Everything I possessed - Now they are gone

Oh where can I go to and what can I do?  
Nothing can please me only thoughts are of you  
You just laughed when I begged you to stay  
I've not stopped crying since you went away

The world is a lonely place - you're on your own  
Guess I will go home - sit down and moan.  
Crying and thinking is all that I do  
Memories I have remind me of you

Jeff was at his wit's end. He didn't know what to do anymore. Jilly, a vulture, had swept in and devoured his brother, and Matt had mistaken it for love. She left, and now there were only bones of something that once was, something that never really was, but for Matt it had been. Another shattered promise, another broken heart, a thousand tears.

Matt had been depressed before, all the times before he had hurt, and he had suffered. Each time he fell down further, no, each time he was thrown down further. The story just repeated in declining repetitions. Just as he would be climbing back up, someone would come along and grab his hand and help him. Someone would come along and pretend to help him. They would pull him to safety only to shove him off the ledge and let him disappear back into the void, deeper. How deep was Matt this time? Could he see the light at the top of the hole? Could he blink at it and wonder if it was worth it to try and claw his way out of the pit, or was the light now so tiny, it was naught but a miniscule pinhole?

Jeff couldn't take it. Someone had to pry Matt out of his depression. He was done just trying to comfort, Matt didn't need comforting, he needed prodding, he needed someone to pull him out of the darkness, someone who wouldn't let go, someone who would help him out of the pit so he could walk away from it and never turn back to peek over the treacherous rim. Jeff, can you do this? I might need Shannon to help, I'm only one person…

"Matt?" Jeff opened his brother's door. The lights were off. He had put blankets up to the windows to block out light. Sabbath started to repeat. Jeff turned the player off. There was silence, broken periodically by rough breathing coming from Matt's raw throat. Jeff felt a lump forming in his own throat. He couldn't stand to see his brother this way, it killed him inside. It made him angry at _her_.

Jeff sat on the edge of the bed. Matt was wrapped in his covers, his head was hiding under his pillow. Jeff moved the pillow away and Matt covered his eyes with his arm.

"Matt, look at me."

"Nuh-uh.."

"Matt…" Jeff moved his brother's arm. Matt squinted at him from swollen eyes. "I know…I don't know how much this must hurt you, but, you need to try to…"

To what? Move on? That was easy to say. Isn't that what he'd been trying to do for a long time with no luck?

"I don't like seeing you this way." Jeff tried. "You need to realize that you don't need a woman to complete you. You're Matt Hardy, you're complete in yourself."

"No…no." Tears leaked from Matt's painful eyes. "…alone…why? It hurts…I don't care anymore."

"You better care, because I care Matt, I fucking care! I'm here…you're not alone, I'm here. I know it's not the same as a woman but you can trust in me. I'm not going anywhere."

"I…know."

Jeff hated this. It looked like it was hurting Matt just to say a few words. As much as he sobbed up here, his throat was probably torn to hell.

"Pillow back, Rainbow."

Jeff clutched the pillow to his chest.

"I will give it to you…if you promise to come down tomorrow and stay out of your room all day."

No reply.

"Then you don't want your pillow very bad."

"…okay…"

Jeff rubbed the side of his brother's face.

"I don't care shit what anyone else thinks or says, you mean the world to me. Don't forget it, Matt. You mean something to me, a lot."

Jeff returned Matt's pillow and Matt promptly buried his head beneath it. Jeff got up and left reluctantly. Did he say anything that helped? Did he make any kind of difference? Jeff went back down stairs feeling kind of down himself. He wanted Matt back, but he had to be realistic. It was going to take time. Right now, Jeff wanted to take time by himself to think. He wondered to himself, why is it we fear being alone, yet in our most desperate times, we isolate ourselves? Why is it we are terrified of being abandoned, but in our time of need, we choose solitude?


	11. Chapter 11: You Shall Laugh

Chapter 11

Well, Jeff had got his wish. Matt had came downstairs the next day, dragging his blanket and hugging his pillow.

"Move."

Jeff moved from his spot on the couch and Matt took it over, cocooning himself in his blanket.

"I'm down here now." He said hoarsely.

It wasn't exactly what Jeff had in mind but he had simply requested that Matt come downstairs, and he had. That had been a months ago and Matt was still entombed there, only getting up to eat, use the bathroom, or shower if he got the gumption.

So Matt's new hidey-hole was the couch where he spent most of his time drifting in and out of sleep, falling in and out of dreams, waking to find his cheeks wet. How much time had passed since she had left the ring sitting on his knee? It seemed like forever, God, it only seemed like yesterday. Matt buried his face into the couch. It smelled like his dog, old beer, and tomatoes. It smelled like tomatoes because Jeff and Shannon had once had a ketchup fight in Matt's living room.

"Matt, get up."

"No."

This had been the usual routine for sometime now.

Jeff sat on Matt's feet. It wasn't that Matt didn't want to get up, he was actually beginning to feel like doing a few things, but sometimes when he tried to muster the will to move, he just couldn't quite get there. He still felt lost and confused.

"You reek, get up and sleep in the bathtub and I'll turn the shower on your raunchy ass."

Matt grunted.

"I take that as a no." Jeff replied.

"What day is it?" Matt pulled his cover down just enough that he could blink and eye at Jeff.

"It's alive Master, the monster is alive!" Jeff did his best 'Igor' impression.

"Jeff, quit. What day is it?"

"It's November fourth."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. You've been living in your room for almost a month and then you relocated to the neighboring hamlet of Couchville." Jeff explained pulling Matt's cover away."It's been about a month and a half you've spent glued to this thing." Said Jeff referring to the couch.

"Oh..really…well I'm trying." Matt sat up and realized Jeff was right. He smelled horrible. When is the last time I showered? He remembered standing under the showerhead crying a few times but it had obviously been a while.

"Hey, I missed Halloween didn't I?"

Matt rubbed at his eyes.

"Yeah, me too. I love Shannon's killer Halloween parties. I heard it was his best one yet."

"You didn't go?"

"No, I stayed here. Shannon has started to accuse me of being a recluse, and he's accusing you of being comatose."

"Not quite comatose yet." Said Matt standing up and stretching. His back popped.

"He's been over here trying to make you laugh, all you did was snarl at him."

Matt remembered Shannon's many failed attempts. He was beginning to feel better, but not yet up to laughing. Matt headed to the bathroom to get cleaned up and Jeff called Shannon.

"He's up?" Shannon asked over the phone.

"Yeah, he's actually up doing stuff. I had the kitchen in a hell of a wreck and he actually cleaned some of it up. I think he's slowly on his way up, and believe me if anyone tries to get in his way, I will murder them and bury the body in your back yard."

"Okay, fine by me. Kody will probably be a willing alibi too."

Jeff was so glad that he had awesome friends. Of couse they would cover his ass if he ever decided to go Jason on someone…or maybe he would find Jilly and go Itchweed on her and whip her face off with a weed-eater.

"Well, I'm on a mission. You can tell Matt, before Thanksgiving rolls around, I'm going to make him laugh, nay, I will make him guffaw! Yep, you heard me." Shannon anounced his scheme.

"Shannon, you're awesome, and thank you for keeping me sane while I've been trying to rescue Matt."

"Jeff, number one, I know I'm awesome, you don't have to tell me that." Shannon paused. "And number two, don't thank me, you're my best friend, like my brother. No thanks required. Number three, you might be seeing me later."

A little later Matt and Jeff were watching t.v. when Shannon poked his head in.

"Hey guys, glad you're home."

He walked in naked except for a belt around his waist.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Matt groaned.

"What?" Shannon shrugged. He walked past Jeff and Matt and went into the kitchen to help himself to a pop.

"What's he up to?" Matt wanted to know.

"I wouldn't have a clue. Even he doesn't know what he's up to half the time." Said Jeff.

Shannon came back into the room drinking a soda.

"…dude…" Jeff laughed. "Why are you wearing a belt, it's not like you have to hold your pants up or something."

Shannon turned to Jeff with a dead pan look on his face and said seriously:

"I have to hold my dick up with something."

Jeff burst out into crazy laugher. He had been down himself, and worried about Matt, he hadn't realized it but he hadn't laughed in a while either. Now he was laughing so hard tears were rolling out of his eyes. Matt, yes Matt, actually cracked a smile.

"Yes!" Shannon jumped up and down. "I got a smile, that's a start!"

"Oh God Shannon, please save us all and don't hop around like that!" Jeff held his sides laughing. Matt's smile widened a little.

"I'm surrounded by lunatics…thanks Shannon. In some twisted way that actually made me feel better."

"It's not over Matt," Said Shannon. "I'm going to make you laugh before Thanksgiving, you'll see."

"Dr. Shannon Moore's recuperative laughter therapy." Jeff howled.

"You sure got him going." Said Matt, watching Jeff crack up. "However, I think you should put some pants on now."

Shannon shrugged.

"Pant's are over rated. I feel kind of free this way."

"I'm not laughing yet, but I'm on my way to being scarred for life." Matt joked.

"Okay, I will clothe myself for now, but mark my words Matthew Moore Hardy," Shannon threatened. "You shall laugh."

Please remember to review. Please and thanks! (I will give you a cookie!!)


	12. Chapter 12: Happy Pranksgiving

Chapter 12

Thanksgiving was nearing and Shannon was still trying to make Matt laugh. Matt was feeling better and he actually could laugh now, however, he chose not to. He was having too much fun watching Shannon and wondering what he would come up with next. Now it was only a game to him. Matt was playing back, which proved he was recovering slowly but surely. He had his good days and his bad. The good days were becoming more frequent and the bad days were getting better.

Matt was trying to promise himself that he was not going to jump into anymore relationships for a while. He was telling himself that he needed to stay single for a while. However, he knew if the right "she" came along at the right time, he would jump once again. He didn't know why, it was just his nature. He needed to have someone.

Jeff's words echoed in his head.

"You're Matt Hardy, you're complete in yourself."

Matt could not bring himself to say that yet. He still didn't feel complete, but maybe he could learn to live with it. Maybe it was better to live as a single puzzle piece rather than one piece crammed into another in an awkward or almost fit. Weird analogy, Matt thought.

Things were going well. He was going to get back to wrestling after Christmas and McMahon wanted him to train a new guy who was coming onto ECW via Teddy Long's "New Superstar Initiative". He was some younger guy, Blaze Avalon, "Blaze" in the ring. Yes, Matt was beginning to fall back into old routines and become more comfortable letting go of Jilly. Things were getting better.

Yep, things were getting better, thought Kody. She and Jeff were building a strong friendship, and isn't that the cornerstone to a good relationship? There was something else too, her embarrassing crushing was lessening because she was becoming very used to him. They meshed together so well, despite their age difference.

Kody had just spent most of the day with Jeff, Matt, Shannon, and Mike Mizanin who was in town visiting. Shannon was still up to his tricks trying to make Matt laugh. Kody had a sneaking suspicion that Matt was purposefully not laughing. Shannon's latest attempt was putting laxatives in Mike's drink, and oldie but a goody…of course Mike didn't think so. He had even pranked Kody when she had fallen asleep on the couch with her mouth cracked open, he had squeezed oral-gel into her mouth and then woke her up to finding her tongue and lips numb.

Then there was putting Jell-o mix in the toilet and letting it sit overnight, there was Shannon changing Jeff's ringtone then calling him and laughing as his phone played Weird Al's "If I Could Make Love to a Bottle":

If I could make love to a bottle  
The first thing that I'd like to do  
I'd search the world over to find one  
That had the exact same circumference as you

That one got a ton of laughs from Kody and Jeff but Matt sat back with a dead pan look on his face. There had been many others but Matt refused to give the slightest chuckle. Thanksgiving was drawing nearer.

Kody laughed thinking about that song as she walked in to the apartment she shared with her sister.

"Hey sis, what have you been doing?"

Kody was surprised Stella was initiating a conversation.

"I was hanging out with Jeff, Matt, and Shannon, aka 'The Three Stooges'."

Stella was sitting on the edge of her bed in her fatigues. She had just got back from drill. She patted a spot next to her on the bed.

"Sit for a minute. I need to talk to you."

Great, thought Kody, time for a lecture.

"They're calling up my unit." Stella said. "I'm going back, I won't be here for Christmas."

Kody felt her eyes start to sting. Just as she and the guys were starting to hit it off she was going to have to go crawling back to her parents. Kody couldn't afford the apartment on her own and she hated the idea of moving in some random room mate.

"I called mom but they made your room into Dad's computer room."

"I'm not surprised. I am the family flunk out, right?"

Stella didn't say anything.

"So, what do I do? I can't stay here, I can't afford it, but our lease won't be up until summer."

Stella smiled.

"I've talked to him, it's taken care of."

"Mr. Gordon let us out of the lease?" Kody was shocked. Mr. Gordon was an old grump. He wouldn't let someone out of a lease if they died.

"No, I talked to Jeff. He's going to move in here while I'm gone. Matt can have his house back…and…maybe you too will become closer."

Kody threw herself onto her sister in a huge hug. She and Stella were not close and she was so touched that her sister would do something like this for her, and Jeff had agreed! Jeff actually wanted to move in here with her…or was he just being a good friend to help her out? It didn't matter, he was going to be here with her.

"Just do me one favor, Kody." Stella pushed her sister away gently. "Bill wrote to me while I was over there last time, but I'm kind of single at the moment. It really helps to get a few words from back home sometimes…"

"Of course, I'll write to you. You're my sister." Kody took her sisters hand and held it. "And you do me a favor, Sis."

"I think I already did."

"This one is more important." Kody swallowed a lump in her throat. "Come home. I want you to come home."

"I'm tough. I'll be okay."

"You better."

It was Novemeber 26, the day before Thanksgiving. Time was running out for Shannon. He had spent all day hanging around Matt's house playing jokes and driving Jeff out of his mind. Nothing was working. Jeff finally became so annoyed he left for the evening. He and Kody went out for dinner and a movie. Shannon razzed him about it being a date but Jeff insisted it was not a date, Kody was seventeen, remember.

Jeff and Kody came home around ten and plopped down on the couch where Shannon and Matt were watching a movie. Shannon was getting anxious. He had only had two hours left to make Matt laugh. He had vowed to make him "guffaw" but now he would settle for a slight giggle. He was getting tired just trying to think of new things to do. Luckily, he had one last trick up his sleeve and if this didn't work then nothing would.

Shannon got up and went to the kitchen. Once there he called out to Matt and Jeff.

"Hey, I'm getting a soda. Any one else thirsty?"

"Sure, grab something for me." Jeff called back. Luckyily, that had gone according to plan. Shannon slipped some powder into Jeff's drink, it was a crushed sleeping pill. Now, he only had to wait for Jeff to drink it, get sleepy, and doze off. Then he had to get rid of Matt and Kody for a few minutes to complete his prank.

"Why so nervous Shannon?" Matt smirked.

It was eleven twenty. Jeff was just starting to get heavy eye lids. Shannon watched as he struggled to keep his eyes opened.

"Why am I so sleepy?" Jeff said with a yawn.

"Maybe your young little whipper-snapper here is wearing you out." Shannon poked Kody.

She turned to Shannon.

"Please, shut up."

Eleven twenty-five, eleven-thirty, eleven –thrity five, eleven-forty…Jeff was slumped over on Kody, gone. Nice, now, to get rid of Matt. It wouldn't kill the joke if he let Kody in on it. Shannon retreated to the bathroom for a few minutes and purposely stopped up the toilet and then called Matt in to fix it. He left Matt to the bathroom and hurried back into the living room. He had fifteen minutes.

"Kody, go along with me. It's my last chance."

Shannon pulled some things out of his pocket and sat them on the coffee table, a small bottle of lotion, superglue, and a condom.

"What the hell?"

"Just go along with it."

Shannon opened the condom and filled it with the small tube of lotion. He grabbed the superglue and squirted glue around the edge of the condom. He leaned over Jeff.

"What are you going to do!" Kody slapped her hand over her mouth to hold in giggles that were already building up. Shannon glued the condom to Jeff's forehead.

"Oh my goodness…" Kody bit her own fingers to keep from bursting out laughing and alerting Matt.

"Hey, Matt!" Called Shannon. "Come here!"

Shannon woke Jeff as Matt came into the room. Matt stopped dead and stared. The corners of his lips twitched.

"Hhmmm?" Jeff blinked groggily. "What are you guys staring at?"

Kody couldn't hold it in any longer and she busted up laughing.

"Jeff, you really are a dick head." Said Shannon, and he too started to laugh.

"What, what did I do?"

"You have a little something…" Shannon pointed to Jeff's forehead.

"What the hell?" Jeff pulled at the thing which was on his forehead and found out it was stuck. "Ow, you dumb fuck, what did you do?"

"Dude, if you're going to jerk off don't do it in front of us!" Shannon managed between snorts of laughter. Jeff pulled the thing on his head tearing it off, white lotion oozed out of the condom and a big glob slid down his nose. Jeff's eyes widened and his face screwed up into a look of complete disgust when he saw the thing in his hand and he threw it on the floor like it was a bug that had bit him.

"That's brutally gross!" He started to scrub his face onto Matt's throw pillow. Matt couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. Shannon jumped up and down on the couch. He pointed at the clock on the wall.

"Eleven-fifty seven I did it! I made you laugh before Thanksgiving! Yeah!"

"You numb-nuts!" Jeff laughed and high-fived Shannon. "That was great!"

"The look on your face was sooo priceless!" Kody howled.

Matt picked up the goopy condom and threw it at Shannon, Shannon threw it at Kody who screeched, and she grabbed it and stuck it down Jeff's pants. All four friends laughed until they were crying and their faces hurt. Shannon looked over at the clock, both hands were on twelve.

"Happy Pranksgiving." Shannon announced still hitching and hiccupping with laughter.


	13. Chapter 13: Friendships and Feelings

Chapter 13

Blaze Avalon, the next big Superstar. He liked the sound of it. He had wanted to be a wrestler since he was a small boy. Here he was in North Carolina, Flair country, home of the Hardy's, Shannon Moore, Vince McMahon, and he was glad to be here. He was from a spit-in-the-road hick town in Indiana and things didn't go well there for a guy like him. He'd taken all the jokes about his name and sexuality. Blaze, like fire, fire like flame, flame like "flamer". Although Blaze was gay he didn't feel he deserved the title of flamer. He was no girly guy and people who didn't know him might speculate but they had trouble pegging him. There had always been other jokes of course about the fact that he wanted to be a wrestler and he was gay. You could only imagine, and no, he didn't want to wrestle for kinky purposes he wanted to because he had always wanted to. He had never wanted to do or be anything else, and Blaze is what Blaze is, if someone doesn't like it that's too bad. Blaze doesn't hide anything from anyone, he tried that before and it didn't work. He had made peace with himself about his sexuality long ago even though others around him didn't. He had felt guilty for a long time, his older sister was married but she was unable to have kids, and he was his parents only alternative but soon after he had reached the age when boys mature he had realized his parents were to be disappointed in him. But that was common. Blaze, now 26, had since learned not to care.

"Hi, Matt Hardy."

Matt extended his hand to the young man in front of him. It felt good to be getting back into wrestling, sort of. He wasn't actually wrestling yet but he was training this guy. He was in good shape, seemed to work out regularly, but he was kind of baby faced, and his blonde hair fell around his face making it look just slightly girly, but not too bad. He would probably be a success with lady fans.

"Blaze Avalon. I like your style, Matt. I'm a fan."

"Thanks."

Training went well for the first time. Blaze knew his stuff for a newb, it seemed he had a lot of potential, and he seemed like a good guy. He wasn't arrogant and cocky like many guys seemed to be when they were new to the game.

"Great job." Said Matt wiping sweat form his brow.

"Thanks, I guess I know a few things, but I still have a lot to learn."

"After you hit the showers why don't you come hang out? You can meet Jeff and Shannon and Jeff's…friend Kody. I'm sure they'll want to meet you."

So, Blaze found himself spending an evening with the Hardy's and Shannon Moore and Kody who was kind of-sort of-not really Jeff's girlfriend. The nice thing was, Blaze was actually fitting in here. It seemed like they had all been friends for ages. He was glad to get off on such a good start, he didn't have many friends back home, but back home was behind him, and for good.

"So man, welcome to the group." Said Jeff.

"Word of caution, watch out for Shannon. He'll probably try to prank you now that you're the newb in the group." Matt warned.

"No, I don't think I can top the condom joke anytime soon."

Blaze raised an eyebrow and Shannon explained.

"That sounds like an awesome joke."

"It was." Shannon assured him.

"You should have seen the look on Jeffy's face." Kody smiled and touched "Jeffy's" face. Jeff wrapped her in his arms. Shannon and Matt exchanged subtle glances, hey look, he's starting to go for her.

Kody relaxed against him, it always felt wonderful, even natural, to be surrounded with Jeff's warmth, his touch, his scent. Soon they would be sharing an apartment and they would be closer than ever. She could see them easing into a relationship before the New Year. She could also see Matt returning to near normalness around the New Year or at least shortly after. That would make it about five months since the bitch had left him broken. He was doing well although he sometimes still battled with feeling alone or pathetically dumped. Jeff said that he still wept in his sleep sometimes, but dreams are horrible creatures, they have no regard for feelings or the passage of time.

It was late, Blaze was getting ready to leave. After he left, Kody turned to Jeff.

"Do you think he's gay?"

"Don't know." Jeff shrugged. "What makes you think that?"

"I just sensed the possibility. It doesn't matter."

"It kind of does, I'm training him." Matt laughed.

"I'm gay and you like me." Shannon joked laying a hand on Matt's leg.

"Move your hand before I remove it…from your wrist!" Matt glared at him playfully.

"No, that's okay. Don't do that, I need my hand." Shannon quickly withdrew his hand.

"Yeah, you need it because you don't have a girl!" Jeff teased.

"You have a girl…" Kody grinned slyly at Jeff.

"I do?" Jeff kissed the top of her head.

"Hey now, I thought you two were 'friends'." Shannon finger-quoted.

"We are." Said Jeff. "I think we may be be floating somewhere between friends and…something else."

That made Kody light up inside. This was the first Jeff had hinted about his growing feelings toward her.

"Aw, look how happy you made her." Matt smiled.

"I said we are floating somewhere in between." Jeff repeated.

"That's fine with me." Kody snuggled into his shoulder.

Tomorrow, Jeff Hardy would be moving in with her.

So another month was shot. It was now early December and Christmas would be there before they could blink. Jeff and Kody were now room mates and according to Jeff they were still "floating" somewhere in between friends and something more. Blaze was becoming a quick fixture in the group of friends and he had officially been invited to spend Christmas with the Hardy's and Kody because of complications with his family. Apparently, Kody had been correct. Blaze was not ashamed or reluctant to explain that the family complications stemmed from him being gay. So now that was out, and Shannon was having a good time poking fun at Matt who was training Blaze. Blaze didn't care, Shannon meant no harm to him, he treated Blaze no differently from how he treated Matt or Jeff or Kody and the same went for everyone in the group. They were all friends and it didn't matter. Blaze felt comfortable here and was glad to be fitting in. Finally in his life he could see some long term friendships developing, who knows where things would lead, life is unpredictable, and that keeps things interesting. Blaze had been suddenly distracted thinking about this when Matt speared him to the mat. He was suppose to be training again but his mind was drifting to other, possibly inapropriate, thoughts.

"Don't get distracted…have you had enough?" Matt wanted to know.

Don't get distracted? Hmm…but I am. Have I had enough, well, hey get your mind out of the gutter, Blaze. He thought to himself. Blaze just laughed and flipped Matt, pinning him.

"Now I have." He smiled coyly at Matt and got up. Yeah, that's for sure, life and the feelings we discover along the way are both very unpredictable.

Let me know what you think please! Mwah! xox


	14. Chapter 14: Heat Wave in December

Chapter 14

"What's wrong with it?"

Kody used her foot to move around a paper towel to mop up water that had pooled at the bottom of her refrigerator. Jeff was at a photo shoot and Matt was gone for ECW so Kody had called Shannon and he was standing in the kitchen she and Jeff now shared.

"It's ancient, that's what." Shannon looked at the culprit. It was one of those lime green beasts that lives at your grandma's house and always smells funny. "I don't think you can fix it…you'll have to get your landlord to replace it, in the meantime, if you have stuff that's going to go bad you can put it in my freezer and I promise I won't pillage it."

"But if it's leaking water shouldn't I unplug it? We can move it out in the hall at least that way I can mop up the water so it doesn't ruin the linoleum."

Shannon looked down at the floor.

"You mean it isn't ruined already?"

Kody gave him a playful little slap on the arm.

"Come on help me, Punky Monkey." She said.

Kody started to scoot the fridge out but was having some problems.

"Hey, um, just an idea. I think we should take the stuff out first." Shannon suggested.

"I've almost got it, I just want to unplug it first." She gave it a hard shove hoping it would simply scoot forward a bit so she could unplug it. Instead it began to topple.

"Oh, shit!" Kody yelped. Shannon tried to catch the falling appliance in order to divert a sure catastrophe but the freezer door flew open and he was pummeled with a barrage of kamikaze t.v. dinners and ice-cube tray martyrs. Shannon attempted to bail but forgot the dinette set was behind him and in one swift move the refrigerator crashed to the floor.

"Aaah…fuck!" Shannon tugged on his foot which was trapped under the bulky fridge.

"Oh no, Shannon, I'm so sorry!"

He finally managed to pry his foot free. He limped to the couch and took his shoe off only to find his foot already beginning to swell.

"Shannon, I'm such an idiot, is it broken?"

"I've had many experiences with broken bones and I'd have to say it is." He stood up gingerly trying to put his weight on it.

Great, thought Kody. I have injured him by throwing a refrigerator on him, good going.

So that's how Kody ended up in the emergency waiting room flipping through a magazine. She hated hospitals, especially the emergency room. She had visited such places many times as a child. She had been known to perform some outrageous stunts that would not only get her in trouble with mom and dad but would also earn her a free trip to the ER. Kody had her share of broken bones and battle scars. She looked around the room at the people there. Many were tired and sick and she could only imagine the hideous germs and crap that must be floating around this place. You just had to do it didn't you, you just had to knock the fridge over and slaughter Shannon's little piggies.

She had been in here a few hours. Why did things always take so long when doctors were involved? You could come in with a paper cut and be in there for six hours. She sighed and picked up another magazine.

"Top Ten Ways to Turn Him On…" Kody read.

"Number one, heave a large, decrepit, appliance at him." Kody looked up to see Shannon smiling at her. He wiggled his toes gently. They stuck out of a red cast.

"Oh, Shan, I feel so horrible, I put you on crutches!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"'Tis okay, I shall live."

Kody's phone buzzed and she looked at it. Jeff had sent her a text message: why is there a corpse of a dead refrigerator on our floor? Should I call CSI?

Kody laughed.

"Dude, what happened to you?"

Shannon and Kody made it back to the apartment. Jeff had up-righted the refrigerator and it was now back in its place dribbling water.

"That bitch over there…" He pointed toward the refrigerator. "Took a dump and leaked water on the floor, Kody got pissed and went all Hulk on me and fucking broke my foot with it."

Jeff laughed at Shannon's description of the incident. He always loved to embellish things in that one of a kind way of his. The sorry look on Kody's face was a little funny too. She really felt bad that she had injured him.

"Looks like you have everything under control here Jeffrey, I'm going to hobble along back to my place. Fortunately, I'm able to drive, it's lefty here that suffered the damages. Fair warning, just keep an eye on her, she's dangerous bro." Shannon advised, jokingly, before leaving.

Kody sulked and mopped up some more water.

"Let me get it out of here so the linoleum doesn't peel. It'll get soaked and peel up, look at how shitty it is." Said Jeff starting to move the thing.

"Sweety, be careful." Kody eyed the devilish thing, she hoped to make no more visits to the ER.

Jeff managed to remove the refrigerator and sit it outside in the hallway. It looked like a sad old man sulking in the corner. When he walked in, Kody was also sulking, probably still upset about Shan.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Shannon's dealt with worse." Jeff rubbed her shoulders. "Besides, look on the bright side…it wasn't me."

"Har-har, Jeff."

"Well if that didn't strike you as funny I have something else that might."

Jeff retreated to the couch and flopped onto it.

"Did you get a hold of Mr. Gordon about this damn hunk of junk?" Kody asked coming over to the couch. She crawled in between Jeff's legs and laid her head on his chest and listened to him breathing.

"No, I thought you would have. Why don't you call him?"

"Not now, he watches MASH and if you interrupt him during his MASH you get in big trouble." Kody traced her finger down Jeff's arm following his tattoo. "So, what was it that was so funny?"

"Oh yeah, I think Blaze…is crushing on Matt."

"No way, come on Jeff, get real."

"I am. Come on, don't give me that you'll see just watch next time." Jeff lost his fingers in Kody's silky hair. "You're beautiful."

"Now who's crushing on who. Besides, I'm seventeen." She reminded him.

"I've kind of been forgetting that lately."

Kody smiled and kissed his lips.

"In that case, I won't remind you again."

"Make out session!" Jeff shouted and sprung forward reversing their positions, with him on top and Kody squirming and giggling as he slobbered fake, exaggerated, kisses all over her face.

"Jeffy, quit it, you're such a big goon!" She giggled.

"You want me to behave?" Jeff stopped and asked her.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly put it that way…" She flashed him a cheeky little smile.

"Before we do anything kinky I have to tell you something."

"Okay…" She knew he was going to say something stupid just by the smile on his face. The question was; what was it this time?

"Warning," Jeff stated. "Contents under pressure may explode! Ha-ha!" He hopped over the back of the couch and ran up the stairs to the loft which was Kody's space. She followed quickly behind him.

"You're in trouble!" She called to him and she leaped onto her bed. " I have one for you…caution, slippery when wet." She pinned him and kissed him deeply. His hands cupped her small, firm, breasts.

"Hold up," Kody took her shirt and bra off. "Ta-da, total access."

"Sweet." Said Jeff and he ran his tongue over her nipple doing naughty things to her and making her squeal.

Kody got Jeff's belt loose and tossed it to the floor. She disappeared her hand into his pants and started to explore, stroking, caressing, clenching, feeling him react to her touches.

"Hey, he likes you." Jeff whispered to her and bit her ear and made his way down her neck kissing it.

"Don't…joke…right now…" Her breathing was starting to quicken and she was feeling very turned on. "Ooh…you're wonderful." She cooed as Jeff slipped his fingers inside her. She felt so warm and wet and tight. He could only imagine being lost in her throbbing heat.

"Kody…"

"Jeff…"

"Kody…"

"Jeff, come on…"

"Not yet."

Kody let Jeff roll her over and be on top. He started again with his tongue and lips on her breast and he moved down her body kissing and licking and tasting, over her flat stomach stopping long enough to give her a hickey, and then between her legs where she was more than ready for him. She grew more desperate as she felt him doing such wonderful things to her. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders and started to shout his name as he drove her crazy.

"Jeff, Jeff!" Kody reached behind her and slipped her hands under the head board. She clutched at it and groaned. "Jeffrey pleeease…"

He teased her slipping in and out of her trying to see how far he could take her. She was making all kinds of awesome noises and clawing at the headboard.

"Quit teasing, quit playing!" She panted.

"All right baby, I'm coming."

He surprised her by thrusting in hard and she moaned at the sudden pleasure of it. She started to buck against him and after a few moments they were in sync with one another, going quick and hard, sending each other to knew places, becoming lost in passion and heat, thrust and pull, driving each other further and further, until finally both reached their limit and she arched against him and he released. Kody was left dazed and amazed as Jeff rolled off of her and held her close to him. His hot breath was panting in her ear. She closed her eyes and savored how he had just sent her so over the edge and wondered how one man could give her so many feelings and so much pleasure. She sighed, content to lay there and just feel him next to her and relish the moment.

"Kody, you are so amazing."

"Jeff, I love you."

"Before or after the sex?"

"Before…and after…and always." Kody answered, her eyes a bit teary. She nuzzled into his chest. She was not expecting an answer, but then he replied simply: "Me too."

He started to play with her hair again, twisting her purple and pink streaks around his fingers.

"I love you Kody girl."

"Say it again."

"I love you."

"Jeff…do it again." She burst into a huge grin.

"Gladly."

Kody woke up next to Jeff and her heart leaped. She wrapped her arms around him and didn't want to let go. Unfortunately she had to. Someone was pounding on their door. Jeff threw on some pants and Kody followed close behind pulling on Jeff's wife beater. Jeff opened the door to see Mr. Gordon glaring at him, his salt and pepper hair was sticking up in crazy whisps and he was puffing cigar smoke and flicking ashes on the floor even though he had signs posted no smoking throughout the building.

"What's that doing out here in my hallway?" Gordon demanded.

"It's not doing anything, that's the prob. It's busted." Jeff explained.

"Well it's leaking all in my tile and making a big fucking water stain on the ceiling downstairs. You're gonna pay for me gettin' my floor fixed and takin' care of that water spot."

"It's your refrigerator, not ours."

"Dumb punk, what did you set it out here for?"

"Don't call him a punk!" Kody defended.

"I've been called worse, it's no biggie."

"Pro'lly not." Said Gordon. He knocked some more ash to the floor.

"Listen here Mr.--"

"Kody, please." Jeff held her back with one hand. She looked furious. "Mr. Gordon you have to replace our refrigerator."

"Fine, but you kids gotta pay for your damage."

Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Hey buddy, come on, this place isn't the Ritz." Kody piped up, still angry.

"Then by all means, scram." Mr. Gordon smiled. "I shoulda never have rented to a couple of you anyways. I thought your sister was good because she's at least in the fucking military serving her country and all that, but then she goes and let's this freak move in here. Mr. Rainbow tresses here." Gordon pointed at the refrigerator. "Get it out of here, put it down by the dumpster, I got a bad back, I can't be haulin' around nothin'." Gordon ambled back down the hallway to bug some other poor tenant. Jeff went out in the hallway to see what he could do with the cause of their woes. Kody slammed the door and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I hope you choke on your cigar, prick!" She hissed at Gordon as he disappeared down the hallway.

Mr. Gordon came back shortly with a mop and a wooden horse. He half-ass mopped the water up and then sat the horse up in the hallway where the fridge had leaked water. He duct-taped a piece of poster board to it with a message scrawled across it in black marker: "Wet floor, don't blame me if you fall on your ass."

Kody shook her head. She couldn't wait for the lease to be up. She retreated back into the apartment and shivered. It was starting to get chilly and she only hoped the furnace was not on its way out too. That's okay, she thought. Jeff and I can find other ways to keep warm. There will be a heat wave in December. Kody smiled and started to make breakfast.

Wish I was in Kody's shoes...oh well. Review please n thanks!


	15. Chapter 15: You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

Chapter 15

"Look, I did it!" Kody pulled her food out of the oven proudly.

"Good job baby. I'm glad you didn't do what you did at Thanksgiving, I don't think I could bare to have Shannon doing another eulogy."

Jeff smiled remembering Shannon standing in the kitchen looking stricken when Kody had pulled out the Thanksgiving turkey only to be engulfed in a cloud of smoke. The poor bird was charcoaled and Shannon had felt it was only fair to give it its proper dues.

"I did it, I'm so proud!" Kody hopped up and down clapping her hands. "Shannon, come in here and look at my ham!"

Shannon came in on his crutches and smiled at her. Kody looked down at his cast which was now red and green, to be festive for the holidays, via Shannon dragging Jeff around to every store to find green duct tape. If Shannon didn't look silly enough already he was also wearing a pair of boxers on the outside of his jeans that were red and green with bells on the waist band that tinkled when he hobbled around on his crutches, and across the front it read: Jingle my bells.

"I'll look at your ham any day." Shannon winked to Kody.

"Watch it, she's mine." Jeff teased.

"Oh my God," Shannon peered at the ham. "It appears to be edible, this is a miracle! Too bad the turkey was doomed to its death on the funeral pyre known as Matt's oven." Shannon dramatized.

"Yeah, do you know how long it took to get the smell out of here? But it smells awesome now." Matt piped up, sniffing the scents with a smile on his face.

"So, what does everyone want for Christmas?" Kody started to get down plates for everyone.

"A new fridge for the apartment." Said Jeff.

"Even better, a new landlord." Kody put in with a snigger.

"Please, no refrigerators, they scare me. They haunt me in my dreams."

"Shannon wants a new brain." Blaze teased.

"No, maybe a new foot. So what about you?"

Blaze looked at the faces around the room and decided to pick on Matt, because it was so much fun. He looked at him seriously.

"What?"

"Matt, you'd look pretty nice with a little bow on your head laying under the tree for me." He was only teasing and everyone knew it but Matt had a hilarious look on his face and everyone cracked up.

"You're gay." Matt laughed.

"I know." Blaze said. "I try."

Shannon had remembered what Jeff had mentioned about Blaze apparently crushing on Matt and he was still cracking up at the little joke, which might have actually held some truth to it, which was just weird.

"Chow time." Kody announced. Kody was so proud of herself, not only had she cooked an entire meal, she had cooked it well, and it was not just any random meal it was Christmas and all of her friends, hell, her family was here. She had never felt so at home, so in place, as she did around all of them. Stella was the only face she missed around the table. She wondered what her sister was doing. Kody had been writing to her regularly and she had sent Stella a Christmas package with a small tin of fudge, a funny singing Christmas card, and a small stuffed teddy bear with a Santa hat perched on its head.

"You should snag her quick man," Said Shannon between mouthfuls. "Not only is she the perfect little punk princess, she can cook."

"This meal could be a fluke." Jeff teased and Kody reached under the table and pinched his knee. "Kody's groping me!" He shouted.

"Not at my table you don't." Matt pointed his fork at her and gave her a playful evil eye. Kody squealed as Jeff pinched her knee back. Jeff and Kody happily pinched and poked and slapped at each other.

"Well this isn't right, they're down there having all the fun." Shannon pouted poking at his mashed potatoes.

"I'm sorry, Shan." Kody touched his chest. "Ooh…nice. You've been groped!" She giggled and covered her mouth.

"Gropefest!" Shouted Jeff going back to pestering Kody and grabbing at her and Shannon joined in making it a double team.

"I wanna be groped too!" Blaze kidded.

"This is a no groping zone." Matt said laughing and watching Kody squirm and squeal. "All groping must hereby cease or there will be a fine."

"What kind of fine?" Shannon asked.

"Blaze is going to kiss you under the mistletoe."

"I am? Okay."

"You don't have any mistletoe, bro." Said Jeff continuing to torment Kody.

Matt got up from the table and rummaged in a drawer. He pulled out some sticky notes and a marker. He stuck a sticky note above the doorframe of the kitchen and wrote the word "mistletoe" on the sticky note.

"I'm very resourceful."

"You're also standing under it." Kody scooted her chair out and managed to get away from Jeff and Shannon. She pecked a little kiss to Matt's lips.

"I thought that was suppose to be my kiss, it's okay, you just steal it away!" Blaze exaggerated in a flamboyant gayish voice.

"Well Blaze, how is it I wasn't even groping anyone and I still managed to get pegged with the fine?" Kody and Matt returned to their seats.

"You're just lucky that way." Shannon took some more food. "Kody you should come and cook for me sometime…besides…I could say you owe me for certain damages attained."

"If she burns your house down, it's your fault." Jeff said to Shannon and Kody shook her head.

"I'm going to cook you, Jeffrey Hardy." Kody warned.

"You're in trouble now buddy, she busted out 'Jeffrey'." Blaze put in.

"It's okay, I have a 'get out of jail free' card in my pants." The group broke up into fits of laughter.

Later there were gifts exchanged and Kody flipped through channels on the t.v. to find her favorite Christmas movie, "It's a Wonderful Life". Everyone else groaned.

"Come on Kody, you have to respect the classics…'Christmas Vacation'." Said Shannon.

"I like the one where the kid freezes his tongue to the poll…you know…" Matt said.

Everyone chimed in together: "You'll shoot yer eye out!"

"I made a drink that I called "Shoot your eye out" around Christmas when I was back home doing some bar tending." Blaze said. "I brought some stuff to make it, it's pretty wicked."

"Alcohol, did someone mention alcohol?" Jeff piped up.

"So, you used to work at a bar? Was it a gay bar?" Shannon asked.

"Are you kidding? Back home a gay bar is what the hillbillies keep in the back of their truck to beat the gay's with."

"That's cruel," Said Jeff. "You shouldn't call people 'hillbillies'."

"Excuse me, inbred indigents?" Blaze corrected.

"That's kind of creative." Jeff approved.

"Hey boy, yer talkin' bout my kin!" Shannon joked.

Blaze made drinks and Jeff decided to make up a drinking game. Matt was wearing a Santa hat and it became a prop in Jeff's impromptu game. The game was, every time a commercial came on, one of them would wear the Santa hat, after that commercial passed, the hat wearer would pass the hat to the next person. If the commercial was advertizing a restaurant, the hat bearer must drink one shot. If it was an ad for a cleaning product, the hat bearer must drink two shots. If the commercial is for a feminine hygiene product, the hat bearer has to chug one of Blaze's famous drinks.

"Know what…I never watched this while being buzzed." Kody giggled. She was currently wearing the hat but her commercial was for a car dealership. She passed it to Matt without having to down anything and laughed as an 'Always' commercial graced the t.v. screen.

Matt chugged the "Shoot your eye out" and passed the hat to Blaze who had been hit with a number of two-shotters.

"At least there won't be another one of those for a while." Blaze blinked as the same commercial played again. "That's not fair, I hate when they do that. They run the same ones over and over."

"Shut up and chug!" Matt grabbed the Santa hat from Blaze's head and tossed it down to Shannon who was sitting at the other end of the couch with his candy-cane cast propped on the table.

"It's my game and I haven't even got any yet, it's my turn." Jeff complained.

"You can't skip me." Shannon pouted.

"Change the channel and find some different commercials." Matt said. Jeff flipped through channels as Kody whined about not seeing the end of "It's a Wonderful Life."

"Perfect." Jeff stopped on a commercial for Enzite and "Bob" the Enzite dude was grinning back at them. "This calls for group double-chug. Shoot both eyes out."

Everyone followed Jeff's lead and downed two of the drinks with a lot of laughter.

A few hours later everyone was appropriately trashed, Matt and Blaze had got the worst of it.

"Merry Christmas dudes and dude-ette." Shannon said. " It's like three inna morning inninit? I should go…I'm starting to slur."

"Somehow I don't think it's good to be driving with a broken what-cha-ma-callit…you know…" Matt snapped his fingers trying to get the word. "Anyways, you're also drunk."

"I'm drunk but I'm not wasted."

"Just stay here or else call a cab and get your car in the morning, Shan. That's what me and Jeff are going to do, call a cab." Kody said trying to keep her heavy eyelids propped up.

Matt and Blaze were left after the other three had called a cab.

"I should go too." Blaze said getting up.

"I'm gonna clean up the kitchen all our stuff is inna sink and a big mess…" Matt got up and walked a little wobbly to the kitchen. Blaze saw his chance and followed. What are you doing? Blaze thought to himself briefly but the alcohol had his head swimming too much.

"Matt, wait."

He stopped Matt. Both of them were under the little sticky note, aka, the mistletoe. Blaze made his move quickly or he would have lost the courage. He gently backed Matt into the side of the doorframe and kissed him, a nice, decent, kiss. Matt shoved him off.

"What…what?" Matt stared at Blaze and Blaze stared at Matt and both turned about ten shades of red. "Why?" Matt was still too shocked to say much.

"Um, I…I'm just being silly I didn't mean anything." Blaze turned to escape. "I'm just gonna get outta here…" He started to sway on his feet and Matt had to steady him.

"Maybe you should siddown." Matt felt the room starting to spin as well. "We should both…sit down."

They both sat at the cluttered kitchen table and shared a few minutes of extremely awkward silence.

"I'm not gay." Matt stated.

"Um, yeah, please don't take it…I dunno what I'm doing I'm so upset!" Blaze started to cry for no reason, well, except for too much alcohol.

"Don't be embarrassed, it's okay. We won't remember inna morning anyways."

Matt looked at Blaze with a couple of tear streaks down his cheeks, his blue eyes swimming, his blonde hair falling around his face, pouty lips, he was attractive. If having Blaze kiss him was a shock, that thought was enough to send him head over heals into confusion. What in the blue fuck was that, Matt? You really need to go to bed, you're getting out of your head. Matt found his body acting as a separate entity from his brain. His hand was reaching over and laying its self on top of Blaze's. Don't touch him, you'll give him the wrong idea, he's your friend you don't want to hurt him.

"Blaze…" Matt could feel the alcohol weighing heavy on him. He was either going to throw up or pass out any minute, or maybe both. "What do you want?"

Blaze was quiet. Tears were still leaking from his big blue eyes. He must be one of those types that gets emotional after too much to drink.

"Just…to be close to someone." He said in a near whisper.

"Me too…everyone wannabe loved, right? Is no crime…to want…" Matt passed out, bonking his head on the kitchen table. Blaze followed shortly with a similar sounding crash. When Matt woke up the next morning, his hand was still on top of Blaze's and he was holding it. Matt quickly released his grasp. What…are you doing Matt? What happened last night? And then, he remembered. Something is wrong with you. He chalked it up to just recovering from his relationship with Jilly and having way too much to drink. That had to be the answer, it couldn't be anything else. He remembered how he had looked at Blaze and had a bizarre revelation that he was attractive…if thine eye offends thee, pluck it out, thought Matt. Better yet, shoot it out.

Ooh...what's going on? Matt having these feelings...what? Let me know what you think. :)


	16. Chapter 16: New Beginnings

Chapter 16

Stella,

Hey sis, what's going on? I hope you're doing okay. Hold onto your seat, I actually miss you. No, I'm not losing my mind, ha. Things are going great here. Of course it is, Jeff is here. You were right, the whole moving in thing made us a lot closer. We've agreed, we are in love, yeah, the booger finally admitted it. We had Thanksgiving together with Matt and Blaze and Shan. It was great but I kind of killed the turkey, thankfully I made up for it with Christmas. We had a great time and we played this drinking game…I wish you were there. What else is going on in my life? Well, I turn the big 18 next week, and oh yeah, a minor detail. I'm pregnant. I'm thinking this happened our first time, we were both really wrapped up in the moment and it didn't occur to me but I think we made a boo-boo in heat of passion. I haven't told Jeff yet, I'm going to tell him New Years eve before we go to Shan's party. I'm thinking that's kind of appropriate, New Year, new beginnings. I'm so excited, this wasn't planned, but life has a way of doing that to us doesn't it? You better be back here to see your niece or nephew. I love you sis, come home soon. Happy New Year!

Kody

A few short months ago he and Matt had been good friends. Something unknown to Blaze had happened between then and now. He hadn't known for sure but now he was convinced, Matt was making every effort to avoid him. He didn't talk to him, if Blaze tried he was rudely ignored or Matt made up some excuse to leave or move, and Matt was arranging less and less training. New Years had come and gone and Kody and Jeff had announced their good news. For a few days Matt seemed happy again but then he had fallen back in to his seemingly distracted and irritable demeanor. He was off kilter and starting to snap at people, which was completely out of character. He was normally laid back but something had put a bee in his bonnet. Jeff and Shannon had bugged the hell out of him trying to figure it out but they had finally backed down when they got their heads bitten off.

February had soon passed by too, leaving the New Year behind. Kody was proud of the slight beginnings of her baby bump, and she and Jeff announced that they were going to get married. Matt had a brief fling with a girl named Jade but it was more of a flop than a fling. He wasn't really into it, he found he didn't want her, and it only made matters worse. She was beautiful but he couldn't focus on her and she got frustrated when she couldn't get him to be frisky. It hadn't taken her long to get tired of him being moody and closed off. Things were building up inside of him and tearing and eating at him and he just tried to keep stuffing them away and was only successful at making himself into a grump and an ass. Right now he was getting antsy being measured for his wedding tux. The lady was pinning up the sleeves and cuffs and he kept moving anxiously and poking himself.

"Hold still, Matt." Kody said again. She was trying to watch what she ate so she could still fit into the wedding dress next month, only she had fudged today. She was standing there in her pajama bottoms and Jeff's wife beater. She was watching Matt who was scowling and she was eating a Blizzard, cookie dough with extra cookie dough. "Mmmm…" She closed her eyes and savored it.

"Can you hurry up a little? I have things to do." Matt said looking down at the lady who was fooling with his pants.

"Just a few more pins." She said. Matt rolled his eyes upward impatiently.

"I'm the one that's pregnant and you're acting moody." Kody said scooping another spoon full of ice cream into her mouth.

"I'm not moody." Matt looked down at his feet. "Are you done?" The lady nodded and he quickly shed the coat, poking himself with more pins.

"What's wrong Matt, you can tell me, you're about to be my bro-in-law."

"Nothing Kody, get off my back." He barked.

Kody glared at him and stopped him before he went into the dressing room to change.

"I don't know what your little on-going problem is, but you've been lying to your friends and family for months Matthew, but we're not the only ones." She regarded him and knew she was right. "You're lying to yourself."

After the fitting it was suppose to be practice day with Blaze. By the time Matt got there he was in a royaly fowl mood. If his head and body didn't quit nagging him he was going to lock himself away somewhere. Not only was he bugging himself but everyone was, no one could leave him be and give him a break. If it wasn't Jeff it was Shan, and if it wasn't Shannon it was Kody, and McMahon even got in on the action calling him and complaining that he wasn't spending enough time with Blaze.

"What am I anyway, a baby sitter?" Matt had snarled at him and Vince for once was quiet. This was not Matt Hardy. So that was why Matt was doing training, because he was demanded to from high authority. To top things off, the car was going nuts about something.

When Matt stepped into the ring where they were training Blaze looked a little scared. He must have a horrible look on his face because Blaze was looking timid. Matt didn't give him any time or any words and just started in, dominating and not even giving Blaze much of a chance. He was surprised Blaze managed some good maneuvers and Matt realized he hadn't noticed how much Blaze had improved, he was really outstanding. He was very…outstanding.

"Stop it!" Matt said shortly into the wrestling and shoved Blaze as hard as he could. Blaze looked flummoxed.

"…what?"

"Get out of here, we're finished, I don't feel like doing this today."

Blaze blinked at him and Matt realized he was yelling but he didn't care. What was Blaze doing just standing there and looking at him like a damn idiot?

"Go, get out of here!"

"I'm going…" Blaze retreated to the locker room confused. Matt walked around the ring angrily lost in his own conflicts. He grabbed the top rope and shook it furiously. He stood there looking over the side of the ring battling with things. He ran his hand over his fuzzy hair and let out a long sigh. Be brave, live a little, who cares what people think. You know what you want quit denying it. Quit being frustrated and head strong and just go with your feelings. Enough is enough.

Matt barreled into the locker room where Blaze had his back to him. He was slipping his shirt over his head. Matt didn't stop. He grabbed Blaze by the shoulders and turned him around and shoved him into the locker with a crash. Blaze looked terrified for a moment, and then baffled as Matt kissed him aggressively, teeth clicking together, lips forcing, tongue prodding, hands roaming over tight muscle.

"Blaaaze…"

Blaze pushed Matt away gently.

"What?" Matt asked as though this were completely normal.

"That was…my question."

"I know how you feel, you kissed me Christmas when you were drunk. I was upset about it, well not about you but about me, but I'm not now I'm done fighting with myself."

Matt drew Blaze to him and started again desperately. Blaze pushed him away again.

"We're…in the locker room…" Blaze looked around nervously as though people were standing around gaping at them. "Besides, maybe we should talk…"

"What is there to talk about? Come home with me…" Matt smiled coyly. "I've been training you, maybe you can teach me a few things."

As soon as they were in the house Matt was taking Blaze's shirt off, not even bothering to close the front door.

"You've been driving me crazy, do you realize that?" Matt panted tearing at Blaze's pants.

"I guess I'm kind of amazing that way." Blaze replied trying to get Matt to move up the stairs. Matt laughed at him and pulled Blaze along with him upstairs and into the bedroom. Matt was filled with unbridled excitement and desire, things were running wild inside of him and he felt like a frantic little school boy on his first time.

He pulled Blaze on top of him and felt amazed and extremely turned on as Blaze did things to him that he had never experienced before. Just his touch was amazing, both of them colliding hot and hungry and needing was enough to drive him insane. Blaze moved his lips over Matt's simmering skin. Matt was trying to suppress his moans but was soon overpowered as Blaze did things with his mouth that were wonderful and maddening. Maybe Jilly had been right about the mediocre sex, Matt hadn't realized it ever before, but now that all these feelings were washing over him he could understand. He had thought things were fine but he had never in his life felt this good with a woman and he hadn't even realized anything was lacking until this moment. It was as if he was discovering a new part of himself and becoming everything that he needed to be. Someone was shouting and Matt realized it was his own voice tearing out of his body, trying to hold on, struggling with boiling, throbbing, pleasure.

"Blaze, Blaze, ugh!" Matt was pulling air into his lungs so fast and hard that they were burning. "Blaze, Blaze!" He moaned on the verge of coming.

"It's going to hurt…" He heard Blaze say.

"I don't care, I don't care!"

Within a few more moments it was over and both were lying tangled in the covers. Matt found himself speechless and overcome with wonderful feelings. Blaze was snuggling next to him and Matt reached over to play with his awesome blonde hair. Matt felt content as he lost himself in the blue, glittering, pools that were Blaze's eyes. They symbolized a new life and new beginnings. Jeff's voice echoed in his head: You are Matt Hardy, you are complete in yourself. Matt had finally found it and he was now empowered enough that he could say it without qualm or hesitation. In fact, he wanted to yell it from a mountain. I am Matt Hardy, I am complete in myself.

This is probably my personal favorite chapter, although I also love Happy Pranksgiving and the chapter when Shan gets attacked with the fridge. :) This was kind of hard to write, but Matt (my character of Matt) kept telling me this was it. I'm pleased with it. Please Review, I'll give you 50 a word...in Monopoly money :P


	17. Chapter 17: Life: A Twist of Fate

Chapter 17

Matt had changed drastically. As soon as Jeff saw him he could tell something had happened. He had gone from number one ass to beaming with excitement. Kody exchanged a weird glance with Jeff. Last she had seen him he had been bitching at her to get off his back, that had been a few days ago.

"Hey Matt, I'll be right back. I gotta pee again."

"Again?" Jeff asked with a laugh as Kody disappeared down the hallway. Matt suddenly grabbed his brother in a big hug. Blaze and Shannon were sitting on the couch. Blaze also looked happier than usual and Shannon had a look on his face Jeff couldn't quite read.

"You were right!" Matt exclaimed.

"Which time?" Jeff asked. Matt hugged him again and Jeff mouthed to Shannon 'What's going on?'

"You were right about me needing to be able to say I'm complete in myself, I can say it now, I am completed!"

"Are you on drugs? If so…gimme some." Jeff started to pat Matt down.

"No I just discovered things I never knew…Jeff you have to be supportive, don't laugh or scream or pee your pants, okay?"

"I wasn't planning to do any of those things but you have me worried now."

Kody came out of the bathroom and sat on the arm of the couch.

"What's going on?"

"Jeff's about to a) laugh, b) scream, or c) piss himself." Shannon said taking Kody's hand.

"Let's go with letter c." Said Blaze.

"Me and Blaze." Said Matt as if that explained everything.

"You and Blaze what?"

Matt just hugged Jeff again and Jeff only became more bewildered.

"Can you just be plain with me? I guess I'm kind of slow."

"I found out why things never worked with all those other girls, all those times and I thought something was wrong with me because they all ended up gone, I couldn't figure it out I always had to be so reassured from her, from them, remember Jilly always used to get annoyed at me I always wanted her to tell me she loved me too much?" Matt was starting to talk too fast.

"Matt--"

"Just let him finish." Shannon advised.

"It's because they weren't right for me, they were never right and I was trying to force them to be right! Jeff I can say I'm happier than I have ever been…I found the part of me I needed to be completed. I was being a jerk because I was struggling with feelings, Jeff don't freak out, you're a free spirit and everything. I'm gay and Blaze and I are together."

Talk about getting hit with a ton of bricks. Shannon started to laugh at Jeff's face.

"Shock and awe." Said Blaze joining in on the laughing.

"Aw," Kody hugged Matt. "I'm so glad you're happy!"

"Um…okay." Jeff looked at the faces around the room and that was about all he could say. "Well, okay."

"We should go have a coming out party!" Blaze announced. Everyone else seemed on board but Jeff was still reeling. He thought he knew Matt down to his bones but this came as complete surprise. He would have never even thought to imagine Matt with a guy. But look at him, he's never been that happy before. Jeff smiled. He didn't know everything about Matt, it was okay, obviously Matt had not known a thing or two about himself. Shannon, Blaze, and Kody went out and piled into the car. Jeff hugged Matt.

"You are really thrilled about this aren't you?"

Matt nodded.

"Then so am I." Jeff clapped his brother on the back and they went out to party.

Somewhere along the line they ended up at Shan's tattoo shop. Matt had decided to get the date of his 'coming out' tattooed on his arm and if anyone asked what it meant he could tell them. Kody bugged Shannon for a tattoo as well, she wanted 'Jeff's Girl' tattooed across her back. Shannon felt a little awkward when Kody took her shirt off and laid on the table. He got to work on the tat and found himself wondering what it would be like to be inking 'Shan's Girl' across her shoulders instead. He was very fond of Kody, she was an awesome woman. He was filled with joy that she and Jeff had found each other and he only hoped to discover his own 'Kody' some day. Right now he was just content to be a part of these people's lives. They were his family and he couldn't imagine a life without any of them. Kody was talking to him and he realized he had been tuning her out.

"Hey, Shan…Shan?"

"Yeah…is it hurting?"

"No, I wanted to ask you something. My parents aren't going to be at the wedding. I sent them an invitation and a picture of Jeff and I and they sent me back a nasty letter about me being pregnant by some freak and marrying him. It doesn't matter, I didn't really want them to come anyway." She paused and tried not to squirm as her skin started to sting. "Shannon, will you give me away to be married?"

Shannon stopped and had to swallow a lump in his throat. He felt very honored, and he felt that he would be giving her away in more ways that one. Jeff was a lucky man.

"I would love to, babe." He said and continued on the tattoo.

It was just a small wedding, nothing too fancy, but as Kody walked down the isle she felt beautiful, even with her tummy pooching out a bit. Her eyes teared as she saw her sister in a beautiful blue dress holding flowers she had been able to come after all being discharged for reasons Kody didn't quite get filled in on. Matt stood on the other side of Jeff beaming. She had seen Blaze earlier and he looked very handsome, he had left to set up for the reception where he was going to be bar tender. And here holding on to her arm was Shannon, plodding along in the cast which had been upgraded to a boot-type thingy. Then, there was Jeff. He looked dashing and amazing and he was about to be her husband, she was about to be his wife. She stepped into place beside him and they both started to cry. Even Matt was getting choked up.

"Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today, to unite in holy matrimony, Jeffrey Nero Hardy, and Kody Nichole Turpin. Who gives this woman to be married?"

"I do." Said Shannon. Kody smiled at him with tears running down her face and she could see his eyes were wattery too.

She turned back to Jeff as the minister started. Kody and Jeff never took their eyes off of each other as their vows were being read. This is it, thought Kody. That's my wife, thought Jeff.

"I do." He said slipping the ring onto her finger.

"I do." Kody grinned so wide her ears hurt as she slipped the band over Jeff's knuckle.

"By the power invested in me, I pronounced you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." There were cheers as Jeff laid one on her. "I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Hardy."

At the reception, Jeff and Kody had their first dance. Matt watched them holding each other close and just being in love and in tune. It was such a beautiful thing, a beautiful gift. He looked over to Blaze who gave him a little wave from the bar. He looked so handsome. Matt smiled. He would never have imagined being here. Life really was unpredictable. If he and Jeff hadn't met Kody at the autograph table, if Adam hadn't invited her to the party, if Kody hadn't been so stubborn. Then, what if Jilly hadn't left? That whole fiasco had turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for Matt. Why had Vince chosen Matt as the one to train Blaze? What if he hadn't? But things had worked out in such ways. Things had been twisted by chance and by luck and even by mistake. Matt had discovered so many things in the past year. Mainly, how to be whole, and secondly, that the outcome of things in this life are very often no more than an unexpected twist of fate.

**Thank you to all of you who read my story and especially those of you who reviewed. I hope you like this story, please let me know what you like/don't like, which characters you like/don't like, any suggestions, etc. I was wondering if I would get more reviews if I made notes at the end of the chapter and kind of remind people to do it, but I can't bring myself to do it. In my mind it is kind of distracting from the story, and I am a writer through and through and I don't want to take anything away from the story itself! I really love writing with a passion and wrestling so I hope I have done a good job here. Maybe I have created some controversy with Matt discovering his sexuality. Let me know what you all think one way or the other. Hope to have more soon!**


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